Serenity Voldemort Riddle
by Trolly's Bara-chan
Summary: Voldemort wanted to live forever. He planned to use his daughter for his own gain, but never thought of what would happen if his little moon child were raised alongside Harry Potter, or if Severus Snape failed to finish his task, or if...wait, Diamond?
1. The Beginning

Ever get one of those ideas where no matter how many times you try to put it to words, you're never happy? This is one of them, and at least my fourth attempt (on a second account) to write it. Let's see if my perfectionist tendencies will be satisfied as I procrastinate on my homework!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Harry Potter (if I did, they probably would have never made it to publishing!)

BEGIN! (Anyone remember when you could still use dashes and didn't kill them on you? Oh, horizontal ruler thingy. Let's hope it works on the third try editing.)

* * *

Prologue

Something wasn't right. Although she could not explain why, the future seemed to be changing, a new dimension forming that had not been there before. Sailor Pluto searched the time stream for the disturbance, looking for the cause of this sudden shift.

There.

Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter...but...where was Sailor Moon? The spirit of the princess had somehow not been born when she should have been. The Tsukino's had no daughter, for the infant had apparently died an unexplained death. Pluto did not understand it, but that princess was now hidden from her eyes.

* * *

Chapter 1 (because posting the prologue separately is a pain)

The Dark Lord Voldemort planned to live forever, and he had devised many safeguards to ensure that he did. First and foremost were his horcruxes, designed to immortalize his soul. They ensured that even if his body were destroyed, he would never die. But regenerating bodies, as he understood it, was a messy business best avoided. It was better, he thought, to ensure that he would never have to resort to such magic by making his body as powerful and indestructible as his soul. Over the years he had used the Dark Arts to strengthen his form, but every spell carried the same warning. The magic would not last forever.

But Lord Voldemort had never been easily put off. In the oldest scrolls, those predating even Hogwarts, he had found tales of an immortal people who were not quite human. It was their magic he would need if he wished to survive. He sent many of his best Death Eaters to find ways to access this power, but all failed him, despite knowing the consequences.

All that was, until Severus Snape.

Though young the boy was clever, and well versed in the Dark Arts. Lily Evans, his childhood crush, had wed the Potter boy, his arch-rival. Potter worked against Voldemort, and that was all the reason Severus Snape needed to work for him. His heart was cold, and he performed as ordered without so much as a flinch.

The seemingly impossible task was exactly what he needed to distract himself from thoughts of. . . her.

"You're certain?" The Lord's voice was sharp.

"I am." Snape's face was stoic.

"You know what will happen if this fails, do you not?"

"I do." Snape reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small potion bottle. The liquid inside glowed silver. The Dark Lord eyed it critically. He could sense no deceit in the young man's mind. He reached out and took the bottle in his hand, watching it sparkle in the firelight.

"Fetch Bellatrix." Taking this for a dismissal, Snape left to do as told before heading to Hog' s Head for a well-deserved break.

The premise of Snape's ideas had been simple, really. A muggle could not use a wizard's magic, so how could a wizard expect to use the magic of these other beings who were not human and thus not really witches or wizards? They could not. Therefore, he would have to bring one of these beings to Voldemort. The magic was complex, but he was Severus Snape.

The spell he'd created was designed to call the spirit of one of those beings into the form of the child of the one who drank the potion. Voldemort would have a child, and through that child access to the power he sought. When the child was old enough, the power would have to be . . . extracted.

It wasn't long before he heard that Lily was pregnant.

* * *

The scream of an alarm wailed through Snape's house, jerking him from his dreams of Lily. Dread washed through him. Early! It was far, far too early! With a pop he vanished, appearing at the Lestrange's front door in his nightshirt. Her scream told him where to go, and Snape ran up the stairs. He kicked the house elf out of his path and tore through the door, finding himself face to face with an angry Voldemort and glaring Bellatrix. A small bundle lay on the edge of the bed, and as Snape edged closer, he could see a patch of golden hair and too-blue skin.

"Crucio!" The Dark Lord snarled.

The baby was still.

"Crucio!"

She was not breathing.

"CRUCIO!"

Had he failed? But the room was dark. The room should not be dark.

Voldemort towered over him, ready to deliver the killing blow for his failure as Snape's body seized upon the floor. In his pain he reached out, grabbed the dark curtains and pulled them down, causing the full moonlight to spill into the room. As it touched the baby's face she stirred. Abruptly, the pain stopped.

Although weak, he forced himself to his feet and pulled the child into his arms. He stumbled out the door and down the stairs, not bothering to look and see if anyone followed. He cradled the child close as he pushed open the heavy front door, stumbling outside. When he reached the lawn he collapsed, the child resting in his lap as the moonlight spilled over her face. Her clear blue eyes opened and looked at him. And for the briefest moment, Snape saw a crescent moon flash on her little forehead.

One month later, he learned that Harry James Potter had been born.

* * *

End Chapter

Other chapters should be longer, but this seemed like a good place to stop. Review and tell me what you think, please!


	2. The Infant

This chapter mainly focuses on the relationship between infant Serenity and Snape. I had to give him one happy chapter before. . . well, you'll see.

* * *

Chapter Two

During the course of Bellatrix's pregnancy Severus Snape monitored her closely. The child she carried was created by his spell, and thus was his to watch over. Snape prided himself on being a very observant man. He had noticed, for instance, that the child was most active when Bellatrix stood in the moonlight. So, when she was born in a room devoid of this precious light, it occurred to him that she would improve if exposed to it.

This was how he came to find himself sprawled on the lawn of the Lestrange Manor with a newborn babe curled up on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. As he regained his breath and his tremors slowed he wrapped a hand around the tiny baby, intending to take her back inside to study her in preparation for the next part of his spell. Suddenly he stopped and looked down.

His eyes lighted on her impossibly tiny hand wrapped around his finger so very trustingly. Although his head reminded him that this was an impulse for babies, his heart felt a warmth and calmness that hadn't been there in years, not since he was young and sneaking off to spend time with his best friend Lily. Very slowly he sat up, holding the child close. Carefully he stood, his eyes still locked on that little hand.

"Can you proceed with the rest of the spell now?" Voldemort's cold question snapped Snape from his reverie and his eyes darted to his Lord's. In that instant he realized that he could not continue with the spell, not then and not ever.

"No my Lord." He said softly. He had to think fast, but his mind did not betray the lie. "Her powers must be allowed to mature before the spell continues."

Although Voldemort did not seemed pleased with Snape's response he did not argue. He turned and reentered the house. After a moment Snape followed, his mind already devising a plan to save his little Serenity.

* * *

Quietly, Snape slipped into the nursery at Lestrange Manor. Bellatrix was many things, but motherly certainly wasn't one of them, and it showed. Although as far as most of the Death Eaters were concerned the child was the Dark Lord's own heir, to Bellatrix it mattered little. She had eyes only for the Dark Lord, and no room in her fanatical devotion to spare for a child. Her house elves took care of most of the infant's needs.

Working under the guise of needing to be near her to observe her for his research, Severus Snape spent as much time with the baby as he could. The way her eyes lit up when she saw him always pleased him, and this time was no different. She cooed and gripped the edge of the crib, bouncing until he came close enough for her to hold out her arms to be picked up. He smiled as he lifted her, settling back into the rocking chair. He gave a small sigh as he rubbed her back.

"I swear one of these days I'm going to smack one of those four upside the head." He complained to her. She turned at the sound of his voice, sucking on her fingers as she watched him. "Every single meeting all they can do is babble on about the Potter's brat. You'd think he was the greatest thing since sliced bread!" And yet even as he complained about it, Snape felt uneasy. How was he to know when he'd passed the information about the prophecy to Voldemort that one of the potential candidates would be Lily's boy? He stroked Serenity's hair as he watched her. Seeing he was distracted, the infant managed to get a fistful of his hair and give it a firm yank, eliciting a yelp from him that made her giggle. Snape shot her an annoyed look and she laughed harder.

"Women!" He sighed in exasperation. He stood, bouncing her gently as he walked. "I can only hope I have time to warn them if Voldemort decides to make a move."

* * *

_Snape leaned over the side of the crib to tuck the now one-year-old Serenity into bed. He smiled when she yawned, though it was strained. Voldemort had been getting more aggressive with his plans, and the stress of Snape's new role as double agent was beginning to wear on him. He ran his fingers gently through her lightly curled blond hair, straightening only when he felt eyes on his back._

_"Yes my Lord?" He asked softly, so as not to alert the baby of the disturbance. With one final glance at her, he turned to hear the Dark Lord's answer. Voldemort beckoned him out into the hall. Snape followed, shutting the door behind him._

_"A new position has opened at Hogwarts and I want someone on the inside who can report to me..."_

Snape shook his head to clear his mind's eye of that particular night. He had been loathe to take the position, firstly because it was potions and not the Defense Against the Dark Arts job he wanted, but also because it meant he couldn't be there all the time to protect Serenity or listen for news that would be useful to the Order. Indeed, it seemed his usefulness had dropped spectacularly over the last month, a situation which James Bloody Potter liked to remind him of.

Shaking his head once more he breezed into the classroom full of second year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, who stopped talking only when he cleared his throat to get their attention. In his short time there the students had come to know him as a no-nonsense but fair professor, unless you were a Gryffindor of course. If only they had known how short-lived this more positive temperament would be...

* * *

There was a flash of green light from within the structure the group could not see, and the building exploded, becoming visible as the pieces flew at them. The Death Eaters who waited outside on Voldemort's order scattered, some apparating away, and some ducking or diving to whatever shelter they could find. A few of the slower ones were struck and lay still on the ground. Severus Snape felt something collide with his chest, landing him on his behind. He struggled to breathe as he shoved the piece of heavy wood off of himself, hoping against all hope that they were safe and unharmed in the decimated home. . .

(About ten minutes ago)

The Death Eaters had assembled just out of sight of the Potter home. Severus cradled in his arms the sixteen-month-old infant Serenity, who kept her little hands fisted in his greasy hair while her head rested on his shoulder. It was late for her to be out and about and she was very nearly asleep.

"There is no one greater than the Dark Lord, and tonight I shall prove it..." Severus was barely listening to the speech, nervous as he was. He did not know how the Lord found out about the protections on the house or how he gained access to it, for he had been secretive, ensuring that any spies (including Severus himself) had no time to warn the Potters or the Order. Voldemort had promised him when he made his intentions for the Potter boy clear all those months ago that Lily would remain unharmed, but still Severus worried, both for her and the child in his arms. A murder scene was no place for a young girl, really! He shifted, pulling her heavy cloak more tightly around her to keep her warm. Please, please, wouldn't someone decide to visit the Potters this night and be able to warn them?

"...Cleanse the wizarding world!" A cheer rose up around them and Serenity stirred, yawning tiredly. Her bright blue eyes lifted to Severus' own dark ones and she smiled at him, flashing the few teeth she had. "'Lubes Seb'us." She mumbled, laying her head back down. Before she could get comfortable again Voldemort scooped her up, holding her proudly as he made his way to the Potter's. Severus made to follow, but Voldemort bade him to stay.

The momentary surge of warmth at the child's words soon faded as a panicked shout rang out. There were screams, and he recognized Lily's voice. Unable to hold back any longer he took off at a run, but before he could even reach the walk. . .

(End flashback)

Painfully, Snape stood. He hoped to see Voldemort emerging from the wreckage, Serenity cradled in one arm while the other brought him Lily. But there was nobody. The house was silent.

The breaking of the Fidelius Charm (or perhaps the triggering of unseen wards? He was in no state of mind to think it through now) had apparently alerted the Order, because several members began popping into the area. Ignoring them, Snape darted forward, heedless of the pain in his chest. Curses zinged past him, and he ducked behind a part of the wall that still stood, tripped on something and fell flat on his face with a grunt. Looking down, he saw the body of James Potter trapped underneath a large beam. Gulping, he tore his eyes from the site of his dead former rival.

Quickly, he tore off his mask, discarding it on the ground as he scrambled through what had once been the living room. "Lily! Serenity!" He called desperately. Nothing. His breathing was ragged as he strained to hear over the yells behind him.

He heard someone approaching from behind and turned just in time to keep from being tackled by a furious Sirius Black.

"You bloody git! Look at what you've done! Look!" He'd apparently forgotten about his wand and was trying to beat Snape into submission. He needed to take his anger out on someone, and there before him was the perfect target.

"Get the hell off of me Black!" Snape reached for his wand only to have his wrist grabbed and a kick landed in the back of his knee. He twisted to retaliate but was jumped by two others he could not see. He fell and pain exploded throughout his body. Then he knew no more.

When he woke some hours later he found himself in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts with Dumbledore bending over him. "Lily?" He croaked. The look in Dumbledore's eyes told him all he needed to know. Lily was gone. Voldemort had not kept his word. He felt tears in his eyes and did his best to blink them away. "Serenity?" Many months before when he had confessed all to Dumbledore, he had told him of the child of Voldemort and the powers he believed she held.

Dumbledore was silent. After thinking the matter over he had come to the conclusion that it was best to let Severus believe the child had perished. As the daughter of Voldemort, Dumbledore knew there was a high chance that she would one day decide to take revenge on Harry. It was Dumbledore's hope that having them raised together as relatives in the care of Harry's relatives would eliminate that eventuality. He hoped she would never discover who she was. For that to come about, however, the girl had to be hidden from her own relatives and all Death Eaters. Severus could not know the truth. Although it pained him, Dumbledore believed that he was only doing what was best.

Seeing the old wizard shaking his head, Snape let the tears fall. Little Serenity, his Serenity, was dead.

* * *

Far away in Number 4 Privet Drive, a perfectly normal house on a perfectly normal street containing a perfectly normal family of three, a shriek suddenly pierced the early morning. Petunia Dursley grabbed the basket on her doorstep and pulled it inside, ignoring for the moment the two pairs of now-opened eyes staring up at her as she read over the contents of the letter tucked into the basket. "Vernon!" She called for her whale of a husband.

He lumbered into the kitchen and she thrust the letter under his nose. He snorted. "No. There is no way in bloody hell that, that FREAK of a child is staying here no matter whose brat he is! And what's with this one, she's no relative of yours!"

Petunia was shaking, but with fear or rage it was hard to tell. "We haven't a choice Vernon. They...they will know if we send them away! We're stuck with them, my sister's son and this cousin of his! What about Dudders? What if they have a bad influence on them? Those...those people! How dare they do this!" She glared at the children as if it were their fault.

By then, the two had fully woken up and seemed to realize something was amiss. Harry, wearing a pair of pajamas with flying Golden Snitches on them, had tried to stand in the basket and knocked it over, sending the black-robed Serenity tumbling out. She started crying, confused by all these strange new people. The noise woke Dudley upstairs and he began to wail. Petunia hurried off to get him and Vernon stood over the two sprawled on his kitchen floor.

"Enough!" He yelled at them, which only made them sob harder. They were confused, as neither knew where they were. Vernon grabbed them by their collars and shook them roughly. When they still failed to quiet down, he lifted them and carried them to the cupboard under the stairs. He wrenched the door open and tossed the pair inside before shutting the door on them. Harry cried for his parents. Serenity cried for Seb'us.


	3. The Prince

Yay! Over 100 hits!

Much love to Alycee Lanet, chaotic . teacup , and LadyArcana81 my reviewers. I'm glad you like it! Especially you, Lady. Your review really had me thinking about a couple things.

And now to make things even more difficult for poor Snape (I do like him, really. I just like giving him a hard time more!) by bringing in my favorite time-hopping Sailor Moon sort-of-villain of all time.

* * *

Chapter 3

Sailor Pluto carefully tracked this strange new break in the time stream. Though these occurrences were usually very common, with one dimension breaking off into two or more depending on a key decision in that timeline, this one was somehow different. It had tangled itself very closely with another dimension where time had progressed as it should with the Scouts. Even this didn't worry her, until she noticed something strange. The Dark Moon prince had begun to exploit this thin barrier, passing from one dimension to the other with a destination unknown. When he crossed, he (much to Pluto's annoyance) vanished from her sight. Curious now, she looked to the cosmos to tell her how this had come about.

Saphir was hard at work by his computer when Diamond came to him. This was unusual behavior, as Diamond couldn't often tear himself from his holograms long enough to visit anyone.

"I have an idea." The excitement in his eyes worried Saphir, and he eyed his brother cautiously.

"What is it?" He asked, knowing he would likely regret asking.

"The problem with the Queen," He began, "is that she doesn't trust me." Well duh, Saphir thought but didn't say. Diamond continued. "What if I were to make her trust me? What if, the first time she saw me in this time, she knew me as a friend instead of as an enemy?" He'd begun to pace, his mind racing. Saphir blinked.

"And how do you plan to make that happen?" Of all the hair-brained schemes he came up with to win this already-married Queen. . .

Diamond whirled to face him. "When is a person most vulnerable?"

Saphir stared. Obviously his brother wanted him to guess. What had gotten into Diamond today? "When they're hurt?" He offered. Diamond shook his head. Saphir tried again. "When they're, well, young?" Wasn't that why they were going after Small Lady? Her age made her an easier target.

Diamond nodded, pleased by this answer. "Yes! Exactly. When they're young. Children are much more trusting than adults are, especially if you're nice to them, right?"

Saphir arched an eyebrow. "You plan on finding the Queen as a child?"

"Yes." Diamond nodded. It seemed obvious to him!

"And just how do you plan to track her? You know nothing of her life in the past."

Diamond grinned. "Ah, but see? According to your own research on these Sailor Warriors protecting the Crystal Palace, they should have been born around 1980, correct?"

Saphir shifted. Oh crap. "Yes, that's correct."

"Then that's where I'll start looking." Diamond announced.

His brother deadpanned. "We're not even sure she is alive in that time, or where she lives if she is."

Diamond looked unperturbed. "I'll find her, I might just have to look for a while, that's all."

Saphir sighed. "Teleporting all over old Japan or further looking for her when she might not even be there? Diamond, really. We need you here."

Diamond frowned. "Your earrings can handle it, and I can be spared every now and then."

Saphir massaged his temples. "You'll be moving too far from the Black Crystal if you have to leave old Japan and the earrings will have difficultly channeling its powers, not to mention once again you don't even know where to look."

Diamond's eyes narrowed, his temper wearing thin. Seeing the dangerous expression, Saphir let a sigh escape. Diamond would not be swayed. He sighed and set to work improving on the earring's design. As Saphir had anticipated, the needed adjustments took several weeks to complete. His brother was impatient, but Saphir held him off until they were done. "Well you don't want to end up in the middle of an ice age do you?" He'd pointed out. He'd also worked on the problem of locating the very young Queen, or, princess, in that time.

When finished, he offered the earrings back to his brother. They were larger now and boosted with added power. "Although I haven't had a chance to test it properly, my research indicates that if these Black Crystals come close enough to the future Queen, they should react to the Silver Crystal she carries. That's the best I can do for now." Diamond took them with a short thanks, clipping them on before he vanished.

She supposed it was this added power combined with the two dimension's unusual proximity that allowed the prince to cross the barrier between them. Pluto soon realized that he was probably quite unaware that he was even doing it. Time travel was a tricky business even for someone with her experience, let alone a mere boy. To prove her point, the prince missed his target by a good five years, and didn't even know it.

* * *

Harry and Serenity Potter were woken by a sharp rap on the door of the cupboard before it was yanked open to reveal Aunt Petunia's pinched face. She peered at them both, wrapped in a thin blanket with Serenity's head using Harry's chest as a pillow. "Get up!" She snapped. "You, girl, will go make the eggs and bacon, and you, boy are in change of the toast. It's my Dudders birthday and I want his breakfast to be perfect, or else!" She left them with a glare.

The two scrambled from the cupboard and made their way to the kitchen to begin their assigned tasks. At nearly five years of age Serenity was still much too small to see the stove properly, so she pulled a chair over to it and climbed up to set the pan on to heat. Harry fetched the eggs and bacon for her before starting the toast.

Serenity waited until she was certain nobody was looking, then took the first piece of bacon from the pan and hurried to Harry with it. "Here." She whispered. He took it and stuck it in his mouth before either of them were caught. Last time Serenity had been banned from breakfast for taking extra.

As they were putting breakfast on the table their large cousin Dudley toddled down the stairs, escorted by his mother who was gushing over how cute he looked in his horrible new pea-green colored suit with a white shirt and blue bow tie, his blond hair pressed flat against his fat head. He lumbered to the table and Petunia served him while Serenity helped Harry carry the stack of toast to the table.

In contrast to their cousin, Harry and Serenity both wore old clothing that seemed to be several sizes too big for them, obviously second-hand cast-offs from Dudley. Harry's brown corduroys were held up by suspenders that had to be knotted in the back, with the pant legs rolled up so he didn't walk on them. His shirt was equally horrid, this one a purple and orange t-shirt with sleeves that hung well past his elbows and a hem near his knees, hiding the knot in his suspenders. Serenity fared little better in boy's pants with a belt wrapped twice around her waist and cinched tight and a huge yellow t-shirt that kept falling off her shoulders.

"Boy, do something about your hair before your uncle comes downstairs!" Harry tried to flatten his hair, but only succeeded in making it worse, as per usual. He gave up, sliding into his seat. Petunia yanked on Serenity's shirt, trying to pull it up, muttering something under her breath neither child could quite catch as Vernon Dursley descended the stairs.

"Where's my birthday boy!" He ruffled Dudley's hair as he sat down to eat. "I'm going to the station in an hour to pick up your Aunt Marge. She couldn't come earlier because of a dog show, but she wouldn't mis your fifth birthday for the world, Dudley."

Dudley didn't answer, too busy counting (or trying to count) the pile of presents on the floor. "One, two, umm..."

"Three sweety." His mother supplied.

Serenity and Harry shared identical looks of horror. A visit from Aunt Marge (well, she wasn't their aunt really, but they were supposed to call her that anyway) never boded well for them at all. She was not very nice and her dogs never seemed to like them.

The hour passed far too quickly for the children, and soon Harry was sent to open the door for Marge and Vernon while Serenity stood nearby trying to not be noticed. Marge beelined for her "Duddykins," one of her pups on her heels, and Vernon left her heavy suitcase for Harry. Serenity helped him, and together they pushed and shoved and lugged the thing up the stairs. They returned to see Aunt Petunia pouring tea.

"Such a good-sized boy you are my Duddykins! I suppose he'll be starting school this fall, eh Vernon?" Marge asked, Dudley squished awkwardly against her chest. Vernon looked proud. "Yes, and he'll be the most popular boy there I'm certain."

Harry and Serenity exchanged glances. They highly doubted that, but knew better than to say so. Before either of them reached bottom of the steps they were spotted by Petunia, who promptly herded them outside to weed her flower beds so Dudley could have some birthday time without them.

* * *

They weren't called inside again until guests began to arrive. Petunia made them wash up before letting them into the living room where a game of musical chairs was being set up by Vernon and Marge. Vernon returned to talking with the other parents while Marge manned the game. Several of Dudley's friends from the neighborhood were present, all ready and eager to play. They turned their noses up when they saw Serenity, however.

"Girls can't play." Said one pug-faced boy. Perkins, Dudley's current best friend.

"Girls have cooties." Chimed in another.

"Don't let her play!"

"Make her go outside or something! I don't want girl cooties!"

Marge hardly needed any more prompting. Harry was allowed to remain, or rather he was forced to by Marge. But Serenity she shoved out into the yard and left there. Sniffling, Serenity moved to sit on the grass near the road, staring morosely down the street. Her sadness did not last long, however, for that was not in her nature. Soon, she'd invented a game with the weeds and was happily playing it alone.

High above, Diamond hovered over the dull-looking suburb. His thus-far fruitless search had begun more than a month ago, first in old Japan, then moving to China and on to Southeast Asia. In two and a half weeks he'd worked his way across the entire expanse of Asia and the Middle East and on for another two weeks through Europe, stopping back home only briefly once a day to check on his clan's progress. His eyes had locked on every blond baby he saw, but each time his crystal earrings had failed to react. Now he floated over the island of...oh what was is called in this time? England? Britain? Scotland? Australia? No, wait, that was an entirely different island. He could never keep them all straight.

He was almost ready to give up for the evening when he felt a response in his black earrings. Almost giddy with excitement he dived towards the ground, following the tug of power. There!

He saw a little girl with short wavy blond hair sitting on the grass in the twilight and playing some sort of game to amuse herself. The tug in his earrings was enough to confirm it, but his eyes raked over her small form and he frowned. She certainly didn't look like a princess! What in the world was she wearing? But Saphir's inventions did not lie.

Moving silently, he knelt on the cement near her. She looked up into his violet eyes and smiled without a trace of fear. Apparently, nobody had ever given her the stranger danger talk. "Hello." She said softly. "My name's Serenity. What's yours?"

Diamond felt his heart flutter. She smiled. She smiled at him! "My name is Prince Diamond." He told her gently. "What are you playing? May I join you?"

"Sure!" She patted the grass beside her, launching into an explanation of her game. Prince Diamond listened attentively, doing his best to make sense of the rules. He'd been expecting a baby, but this was much better. Any younger and she probably wouldn't remember him anyway. They played together for well over an hour, until it grew dark and other children began to leave the house. In all that time, nobody came to check on the little princess. Had he not been a child of Nemesis, Diamond might have thought this behavior towards one's child was strange.

* * *

Far away at Hogwants, Severus Snape, feared Potions Master, had just released his final class for the day. He was known to all but the Slytherins as a bloody git who punished anyone and everyone (especially Gryffindors) for any reason he could come up with, legitimate or not. His kinder attitude those first couple of months were but a memory now. No student could recall the stern but fair professor whose heart was warmed by the thought of the baby girl waiting for him in her crib. Now, they only knew the ice devil whose heart had been frozen by the loss of the only girls he'd ever loved, and the only one who'd ever loved him back.

* * *

Well now, this could get interesting. What do you all think will become of this new relationship? Of Snape? Share your thoughts and leave me some lovely reviews, please.


	4. Prince Who?

Thank you again to LadyArcana81 and chaotic . teacup for reviewing.

* * *

Chapter 4

This was a tough battle to be fought, but he was Prince Diamond of the Dark Moon Clan. He had never backed down from a battle before, and he certainly wasn't going to start now. He was a great warrior. There was no fight he'd ever backed down from, and no foe who could ever defeat him. He could do this. He would do this. He would succeed.

Just as soon as he decided whether to buy her the stuffed rabbit or the bear.

During his first visit with the princess, she had informed him that her birthday was a mere week away, today, June 30th. He'd spoken to Saphir about it, and his brother confirmed that Earth children received presents on their birthdays. Diamond had continued to pelt him with questions on the matter until Saphir had informed him he had a project that needed his attention, and Diamond should buy her a stuffed animal or a doll and get it over with.

That led him to his current predicament in the London toy store. As he stood staring at the toys in his hands, he heard a little girl clamor over a similar rabbit on display. His mind made up, he hypnotized the clerk and walked out, rabbit in hand.

Serenity smiled when she saw him, wiping her hands on her over-sized brown shirt as she stood. She abandoned her task of pulling weeds from the garden to run to him and give him a hug with a happy cry of "Prince Diamond!"

He would have never allowed anyone else such liberties, but this was Serenity. Pleased, he knelt and returned it, then held the rabbit out to her with a warm smile. "Happy Birthday." He said softly.

Her eyes widened and she took it, hugging it tightly. "Thank you!" She hugged him again, the bunny squished between them. She couldn't remember ever receiving a toy in her life. She broke away, dancing with her bunny. He moved to say more, but he heard a door opening and retreated, not wanting to be caught.

"Girl! Get in here and eat your dinner!"

Serenity hurried inside, holding her rabbit close. Petunia eyed the thing but said nothing about it, assuming that perhaps Mrs. Figg or one of their other neighbors had graced her with the gift.

Serenity hopped into a chair beside Harry to eat her half of the tuna sandwich. Harry stared at her toy. "Where'd you get that?" He asked.

She beamed. "From Prince Diamond." She said.

"No, really." Said Harry, giving her an odd look. He'd heard all about this wonderful imaginary friend the night of Dudley's birthday, and he didn't like it.

"Really!" She protested, but Aunt Petunia glared at them and they fell silent.

* * *

For him, a mere day had passed. For her, it had been nearly two months since she saw her princely friend. She was worried that he'd forgotten her, or was angry with her for some reason.

It was September first, and her first day of Year One. Aunt Petunia had driven the three of them to school, where they were met by a kindly older teacher who showed them their cubbies before spending a few minutes talking to Aunt Petunia. After putting his things away Dudley stayed near his mother, while Serenity and Harry wandered into the room towards a group of children who were already playing.

Recess found Serenity in tears. All the other little girls wore cute outfits and had their hair done in pigtails. Her clothes were Dudley's castoffs, boy clothes and much too large, something the other children had picked up on immediately. To make matters worse, Dudley and several of his friends (who were in the same class) had loudly announced on the playground that Harry and Serenity were weird and the other children shouldn't play with them, because if they did they would become weird too. Whatever friends the pair had thought they made promptly left them at the bigger boy's warning, as child are wont to do. Resigned to being ignored, Harry and Serenity settled themselves in the sandbox, but even this didn't last long.

"Look! He's playing with a girl! That's weird! Let's get him!" Dudley's friends took off after Harry, who bolted from the sandbox as fast as his little legs could carry him. Several of the second graders came to play in the sandbox then, and they pulled Serenity's hair before kicking her from the area, informing her point blank that it was the girl's box and kids who dressed like boys or didn't let their mommy put their hair up weren't welcome. All of this proved to be too much for the little girl, and she hid behind a large tree on the grounds to cry alone.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, eyes glistening, to see Diamond peering at her worriedly. She flung her arms around him, problems forgotten in her joy. "Prince Diamond!" She exclaimed happily. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket, using it to wipe her face.

"Who made you cry?" He asked, fighting down a flare of anger at whoever had dared upset her. She sniffled.

"The big girls said I look like a boy cause I don't have pigtails like them." She wailed. Diamond didn't know much about crying children, but he did know how to make pigtails. He'd done it to Saphir more than once when they were children.

"Here, sit on my lap." He settled her in front of him and removed a small silver comb and two white ribbons from another pocket. He deftly parted her hair, combed it out, and pulled it up into two mostly straight pigtails. He did not know how to create the Queen's meatball style, but he supposed this would be enough to please her for now.

And please her it did. She hugged him tightly and thanked him profusely before running off to have another go at getting the other children to play with her. A new girl had just joined the group, and she persuaded them to let the younger girl play with them, provided she could build a decent sand castle.

Feeling quite proud of himself, Diamond returned to the future once more.

When the teacher called them inside, Harry (who had escaped Dudley by hiding up a tree) gave her a funny look. "Where'd you get those from?" He asked, pointing at the white ribbons in her hair. "Your imaginary friend again?"

Serenity stuck her tongue out at him and pouted. "Prince Diamond isn't imaginary!" She protested.

"Prince Pillock is more like it." He'd groused. For that she'd started crying, and Harry had to hurry to soothe her before they returned to class.

* * *

Diamond found himself greatly enjoying this new idea of his, and took every opportunity to pop to the past and spend time with young Serenity. He found that whenever he was irritated her presence calmed him, much as he imagined her older self would were she not so angry when he saw her.

"Obviously it didn't work." Said Saphir dryly, catching him as he returned from a stolen trip with the seven year old to a park. "The Queen has rejected our demands again, and their time before we attack is nearly up."

Diamond frowned, crossing his arms defensively. "It should be working. She calls me her friend. Try again."

Saphir seemed displeased, but he nodded. "As you wish." Walking away, his mind whirled. Why wasn't Diamond's plan working? The preliminary tests with the earrings had shown that time could in fact be changed, so what was wrong? Did the Queen simply not make the connection?

* * *

Only in Year Six, and she was already considered an academic failure. She sniffled as she stared at her midterm report card, decorated with "Poor," "Needs Improvement," and nothing above a C. The teacher's notes said she was a good kid, always happy and kind, but she didn't pay attention. Well, it wasn't her fault school was boring!

Harry placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright Serenity. I'll help you." He offered with a smile. Though homework and reading in general could often be difficult for him because his glasses were old, his grades were decent, or much better than hers anyway. She would need his help if she hoped to pass at all.

True to his word, Harry helped her. He reviewed history with her while they shoveled the walk, multiplication while they dusted, vocabulary while they did the dishes, and reading just before bed. On weeks when they had tests, he often did some of her chores for her so that she could have extra time to study. "Well, if you failed then who would keep me company in Secondary?" He'd teased her when she'd worried about him doing all the chores.

Through Harry's efforts she managed to pull her grades up enough to survive the term, though it was clear she'd never be an honor student of any sort. "I'm not cut out for this!" She'd griped. He only laughed. After all, they were nearly eleven and would be heading to Secondary school soon, and for the first time in their lives would be in a different school than Dudley, who was headed off to private school while they went to the local public school. Surely that would make things easier on her, he reasoned.

Serenity stopped suddenly, looking off somewhere to her left with a smile. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up later." She said. Harry frowned.

"Are you running off to be with that imaginary friend of yours Prince whoever again?" He demanded.

"Prince Diamond! And he isn't imaginary!" She pouted, annoyed that he still wouldn't believe her, and frustrated that they had to have the same argument every time the prince was mention.

"Go on then." Harry waved her off and continued on his way. Relieved, she gave him a hug before running off behind a nearby tree. Not for the first time, something curiously like jealousy flared up in Harry's chest. Prince Pillock hadn't made an appearance in weeks, and Harry had thought they were finally rid of him.

Apparently not.

Trying to pretend that it didn't bother him, Harry slowly continued on his journey back to his aunt and uncle's house. He found a list of chores shoved at him the moment he entered, and Serenity's absence went unquestioned by his aunt, as it often did. Taking the list he moved to start in the backyard, figuring Serenity would eventually show up to help. She returned within an hour, and helped him until night fell. When it was too dark to see anymore Aunt Petunia called them inside for a dinner of leftovers, a quick shower, an hour for homework, and bed.

Although small for their ages, the two were still too big to sleep side by side in the cupboard anymore. As had become their custom, Harry climbed into the cupboard under the stairs first, settling himself so that he leaned against the back of it. Serenity curled up in his lap with her legs tucked underneath her and her head on his shoulder. Harry pulled their one little blanket around them both as best he could, and wrapped his arms loosely around her before they fell asleep.

* * *

I pulled the English school years from Wikipedia. If I am wrong I would appreciate it if someone corrected me. Thank you and please review.


	5. Are Too!

Chapter 5

The "Brazilian Boa Incident" at the zoo on Dudley's birthday earned the pair of them a long stay in the cupboard. Serenity hadn't even been near Harry when he spoke to the snake. The reptiles had grossed her out, and she refused to go near them, opting instead to wait outside. But this hadn't mattered to Uncle Vernon, and both of them were left in the cupboard anyway.

They amused themselves with word games mostly during that time, although Harry sometimes grew tired of being her pillow and they would move to either end of the cupboard, their knees knocking against each other.

"Ow! Harry stop kicking me!" Serenity yelped.

"I didn't kick you!" Harry protested. They'd lost track of how long they'd been locked inside and they badly needed a break from each other.

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

There was a sharp bang on the cupboard door. "You two be quiet in there or you won't get any dinner!" The rumbling of their bellies that night ensured they didn't fight again.

By the time they were released Harry and Serenity were more than ready for the summer holidays to be over and for secondary school to start. Serenity didn't even like school and still she said she was ready to get back, which made Harry laugh. They'd long since forgiven each other for the minor fight.

Their routine returned to normal. During the day they avoided the house as much as they could, though Aunt Petunia often thwarted their attempts with a chore list. Serenity continued to vanish every now and then, off visiting Prince Pillock, as usual, though Harry had learned not to call him that to her face. The last time he had, she'd thrown a trowel at him and run off crying.

A few days after that particular incident they made breakfast for everyone (as usual), and when the mail came Harry rose from his chair to get it under the threat of Smelting Stick. While he was gone Dudley tried to steal his bacon, and Serenity tugged his plate away to prevent that. Dudley whined that Serenity had stolen his, forcing her to give hers up to the larger boy (this, again, was still normal).

Harry returned, and as usual he deposited the bills and letter from Aunt Marge in front of his uncle before returning to his seat. He slipped Serenity half of his bacon, but also placed a letter in her lap, which wasn't normal at all. She picked it up and stared at the heavy old parchment with her name written on the front in loopy green letters.

Ms. Serenity Potter

The cupboard-

The letter was abruptly torn from her hands. She grabbed for it, but Uncle Vernon held it out of her reach. He tore open Harry's and read it, his face going pale.

* * *

That evening found Serenity alone in the cupboard for the first time ever. Uncle Vernon said that the two of them were really getting to be too big to share it, and so they moved Harry upstairs to Dudley's second bedroom. This seemed all well and good until Serenity settled down for the night.

She tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable no matter how she laid. She missed Harry's warmth and the cushion he provided her, but most of all, she missed knowing someone else was there in the dark with her. Serenity hated the dark, and spiders too. Harry always kept the spiders off of her, and his reassuring presence told her that nothing could ever hurt her while he was there.

But now she was alone, and very afraid. She could hear something outside. She wanted to look, but at the same time didn't want to see. What if it was a monster coming to get her? Really, she was too old to believe in such things, but she just couldn't help it. If it was a monster, she reasoned, she had to know. Then she could scream, and Harry would come protect her. But if it WAS a monster, then it might eat her. Trembling, and sniffling in fright, she poked her head out of the cupboard door.

THERE!

She saw a shadow move across the front window and heard a swish of fabric. Muffling a scream she bolted for the stairs, tearing up them and around the corner to Harry's room. She flung open the door and all but threw herself on his bed, crying.

Awakening abruptly, Harry blinked down at her. "Serenity?"

"I'm scared." She whimpered. Harry heaved a sigh and pulled her to him, wrapping the blankets around them both. Soon, they were asleep.

Outside the living room window, Prince Diamond blinked in confusion.

* * *

The next morning more letters arrived, and more the day after that, until the whole mess became absolutely ridiculous. When Vernon packed them up and left the house to escape the torrent of parchment letters, Harry confided to Serenity that he thought their uncle must have been going completely nutters. After all, he reasoned, wouldn't the letters stop coming if the proper people read them? It made sense to him.

July 31st found the Dursleys and Potters in a little nothing shack on a little nothing rock in the middle of a lake in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a storm. The shack had only one bed, which Vernon and Petunia shared, and one couch, which Dudley slept on. This left Harry and Serenity on the floor with only thin, musty-smelling blankets.

When the Dursleys went to sleep Serenity stood and moved for the door. Harry stared incredulously. "You're going out in this weather?"

"I'm going to see Prince Diamond." She said. "I won't be long." Harry snorted and flopped back down.

Ignoring his response, she unlatched the door and stepped outside to see her prince waiting for her, his dripping wet hair plastered to his head. He offered a hand to her. "Let's go somewhere warm and dry, shall we?" He murmured. She took his hand and he pulled her close, holding her tightly as they left the rock.

He took her to a small cafe. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until they sat down, and ordered soup and a sandwich with a coke while he slipped to the restroom to dry off. When he returned, he sat and sipped a glass of wine, studying her. "You've been difficult to locate these past few days, Serenity." He said.

She blushed. "I know, I'm sorry." She launched into an explanation of all that had occurred since the letters began arriving. Prince Diamond listened patiently to her story, saying nothing until her food arrived and distracted her from an explanation of the creepy hotel they'd stayed in.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a heavy parchment envelope. "Is this what your uncle has been keeping from you?" He asked softly. He'd found it when he entered the Dursley's home to search for her. There were hundreds of the odd things laying about the house. Some of them, he'd noted, bore her name. He'd opened one out of curiosity, and hadn't quite known what to make of it. Saffir was just as confused as he, having never heard of this Hogwarts place. Idly, Diamond had wondered if it was perhaps a place to teach her to control the powers he knew lay dormant within her.

Her eyes widened and she gasped, reaching for it. "Prince Diamond, thank you!" she squealed, taking it from his hands and clutching it happily. Half-eaten sandwich forgotten, she tore it open, her eyes growing wider as she read its contents. "Prince. . .I've got to tell Harry!" She gasped suddenly, moving to jump from her seat. Prince Diamond put a hand out to stop her.

"Patience." He said, "Eat first, and then I will take you back." He returned to letter to her, and would not budge until she'd finished her meal. He stood to take care of the bill, then returned and took her hand. He led her outside to a hidden spot and they vanished, reappearing back at the shack. He released her after a brief kiss to her forehead, and she hurried inside.

"Harry!" She held up the parchment letter, still clutched in her hand. Then she froze, staring at the large, hairy man sitting on the couch. She glanced back outside nervously, but Prince Diamond had already gone. Harry smiled and held up his own letter.

"It's alright Serenity, this is Hagrid. He was just about to tell me about Hogwarts."

When the story finished, Harry and Serenity exchanged uncertain glances. A witch and wizard, Hagrid had said. It sounded too fantastic to be true, and neither could really quite believe it yet. But there was something Serenity wanted to ask him.

"Mr. Hagrid?" she began, "What about my parents?"

Hagrid gave her an odd look. "Well, uh, I never met your parents. But Dumbledore told me they were distant cousins of James'. He told me their names too. Let's see, it was. . . Tom. . . and Bella. Yes, Tom and Bella." He said, nodding in satisfaction. "They disappeared that night too, he said, but nobody knows where they went."

* * *

The next evening found the pair of them in Harry's room, pouring over their new school supplies. Harry had taken enough money from his vault to buy books and other items for both of them. Serenity lay on the floor, flipping through a Potions book. "I really liked Madam Malkin's." She said, glancing over at her new robes. "The robes in there were so pretty!"

Harry frowned. "Yeah, but you didn't have to stand next to the blond prat while you were being measured."

It was true. Serenity had already finished by the time the blond boy stood on the stool next to Harry. She'd waited near the door for him, looking over all the dress robes on the racks. The blond boy's father had passed her when he entered the shop, and gave he her an odd look. She didn't noticed it, but Harry did, and he didn't like it.

Serenity twirled her wand between her fingertips. "Willow and unicorn hair, eight inches." She pouted then. "How come mine is so much smaller than yours?"

Harry grinned. "It's because you're short."

Her face puffed up angrily, as he knew it would. "I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Am not!"

"Are too-HARRY!" She wailed. "That was mean!" He laughed, reaching for his Charms book. They still had a month before they headed off to Hogwarts, and neither could wait.


	6. The Arrival

Let's dedicate this to everyone who finds fanfiction much more entertaining than Valentine's Day this year (like me).

* * *

Chapter Six

Serenity almost missed the train.

As she and Harry were preparing to pass through the wall between platforms nine and ten, Serenity spotted Prince Diamond leaning against the opposite wall. She told Harry she would catch up (ignoring his eye roll), and hurried over to her prince.

"Will you visit me at school?" She asked him.

He nodded. "You know I will." He pulled her to him, and placed a small object in her hand. Serenity looked down at it. It was a single earring made of black crystal, much like Diamond's own.

"Wear that always," He told her softly, "and I will be able to find you if the need arises. Call for me, and no matter where I am, I will come." She squealed and hugged him, pleased with her gift. Diamond smirked into her hair. "You'd better get going." He said, shooing her off. She heard the clock chime and shrieked, tearing off towards the platform with her trolley swinging wildly behind her.

"Serenity!" She had no time to take in the wonder of the train. Harry leaned out of the door, trying to get her to hurry. He took hold of the handle of her trunk and pulled, Serenity trying to push while she ran beside the train.

"It's too heavy!" She whined. The train was speeding up now, and she knew they'd never make it.

"Watch out!" Twin voices chorused. Two redheads, Fred and George, each reached down and grabbed the handle, hefting the trunk inside. Harry grabbed Serenity's hand and gave a firm tug. She jumped as she ran out of platform, sending all four of them sprawling across the aisle of the train.

"Well, that was fun." Said one of the twins, reaching down to help them up.

"Best to be on time from now on." Said the other.

"If you're late to class, the teachers will make you battle trolls." They finished together, faces serious. Then they cracked up laughing, moving down the hall to bother their older brother Percy. Serenity squeaked and clung to Harry, who had to spend several minutes calming her before he could get her to his compartment. They lugged her trunk down to the end of the train and stowed it safely before collapsing on the seats. Harry had to reassure her once more that the twins were probably joking before she finally relaxed enough to fall asleep.

She slept through Ron's arrival, interruptions by Hermione, the lady with the lunch trolley, and even Malfoy, who didn't seem to immediately recognize Harry from Diagon Alley. He did, however, give Serenity a look that Harry didn't like. Under the boy's gaze Harry took his robe from the seat beside him and spread it over Serenity. She grumbled and squirmed, turning so that her face buried into his shoulder. Malfoy left, fully intending to owl his parents.

When Hermione warned them that they were approaching Hogwarts, Harry tried once again to wake Serenity. Aggravated, Harry wondered if she'd sneaked out to visit Prince Pillock the night before and hadn't slept. "Wake up!" He poked her, but she didn't stir. Feeling mischievous, Harry opened a chocolate frog near her sleeping form, allowing the enchanted candy to hop onto her face. She woke up screaming, flailing to get the frog off of her.

"Harry! What was that?!" Both boys were cracking up, and Harry had to duck when she ineffectually threw a licorice wand at him, missed and hit Scabbers, who squeaked in protest and clawed his way up Ron's shirt and into his pocket.

"Time to get changed." He told her, laughing "We're nearly there." She perked immediately, and turned to dig her robes out of her trunk. A moment later Harry and Ron found themselves kicked out of their own compartment ("how did that happen?" Ron looked slightly bewildered) so she could change.

* * *

Severus Snape left his potion lab only reluctantly when Minerva came to fetch him. "Really Severus, you can't skip the feast and you should know that."

He'd only huffed as he followed behind her. If he remembered correctly (and of course he did) the Potter brat would be eleven this year. Starting today, he was going to spend the next seven years constantly staring into the face of the proof that James Bloody Potter had won. It was because of Potter, and by extension his brat, that Severus had lost everything. He'd lost Lily, he'd lost Serenity. . .Serenity. If she had lived, she would be eleven now as well.

He shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts as he swept into the Great Hall, his black cloak billowing out behind him. He took his place at the head table as the older students began filing in. Twice, both Flitwick and Dumbledore attempted to draw him into conversation, but his eyes were stone and he refused.

Feasts always put him in a bad mood, too many noisy students at once. Severus supposed he should be happier this year, despite Harry Potter's imminent appearance. After all, his godson, and Serenity's cousin, Draco would be sorted as well. But, somehow that still didn't help.

His musings were cut short as the first years entered and the Sorting began. As he'd thought would be the case, his godson became a Slytherin, a member of his own house. And then...Potter. He glared at the boy as he made his way to the Hat. It took some time, but the brat was finally placed in Gryffindor, just as Snape knew he would be. Just like his father, and just like Lily. He had Lily's eyes, Snape saw, but in Jame's annoying face. Snape's dark gaze followed Harry to the Gryffindor table, and he missed the next few names called.

Serenity sat upon the stool and felt the hat drop over her eyes.

"Ah," it whispered, "one of Slytherin's own, eh? I haven't had one of you in years. But. . .you are not right for your father's house, not at all."

"My father?" Serenity whispered quietly.

"Yes, Tom" murmured the Hat. "a true child of Slytherin, that one. Your mother too. But it's not all in the blood, you know. I've had plenty of the Founder's children over the years, and they don't always end up in their ancestor's house. But that's not all there is to you, now is it?. You carry a very. . . different magic within you, one I have never seen before at all. I will be interested to know what becomes of it, Serenity. With that, I think Ravenclaw is out for you. . ." The Hat seemed almost more intent on studying her than placing her, and Serenity was growing nervous. What if the Hat decided she didn't belong anywhere and had to go home?

The Hat chuckled. "No need to worry about that, little one. No need."

She gulped. "I want to stay with Harry, sir, if you'll let me." Serenity whispered quietly. It was worth a shot.

"So I see. Well in that case, GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat cried. Professor McGonagall lifted the Hat from her head and she scampered over the the Gryffindor table in relief.

Snape's attention returned to the Sorting as a Ross boy became a Hufflepuff. His heart clenched. Riddle had not been called. Nor had he expected her to be, really. Wasn't that the point of his spell? A human could not easily gain the magic of the moon people, and so why should he expect a child of the moon to possess human magic? Even if she had lived this long, his Serenity would not be at Hogwarts.

Serenity. He again felt her little arms wrap about his neck, heard her whispered words of love. She, a mere infant, had trusted him in a way that no one but Lily ever had. And yet, he had failed her when he'd failed Lily, and now whatever fleeting hope he'd clung to that he could make it up to her was gone. Now, there was only Harry Potter. His only chance now was to protect the boy, for Lily. She would have wanted him to, even if he despised for the brat for what he represented.

* * *

As the week progressed, Serenity found herself amused by most of the school's reactions to Harry. Even though she'd heard the story, she thought it was silly the way people gasped and pointed. She'd known Harry for as long as she could remember, and he was as normal as she was.

Not that that meant much anymore.

Friday marked the start of First Year Slytherin and Gryffindor double Potions. As was his wont, Snape waited until the students were seated before sweeping into the room with a dramatic flair. As he made his way to the front of the room he surveyed the students of his class. Although he knew she wasn't there, his breath still caught at the sight of every blond head. He began the roll call, running down the list of names.

BANG!

The door flew open and a student rushed in, a Gryffindor girl. For the briefest moment Snape studied her. But she scrambled for a seat by Potter, and he shook his head. His Serenity wouldn't associate herself with a boy like that.

"Detention. See me after class." He returned to the roll. "Malfoy, D-"

"But I got lost!" She objected. He scowled.

"Ten points from Gryiffindor." He snapped before continuing. Her mouth dropped in shock at the

unfairness of this, but she said nothing more, choosing instead to slouch in her seat with a huff. The rest of the class proved to be no better, and by the end of it Serenity was quite convinced that she didn't like the Potions Master. He was needlessly cruel to Harry, and just rotten to Gryffinors in general.

She packed her things and stalked up to the professor's desk, waiting to see what her punishment would be. Would he really make her wrestle trolls, as the Weasley twins had said?

"Is there a particular reason you do not feel the need to be on time to my class, Ms. Potter? Judging by your performance today I would not guess that it has anything to do with your proficiency in Potions." His voice was cold, and she flushed in embarrassment.

"I got lost. The staircase moved." She looked like she might cry, but his eyes didn't soften.

"You will report back here after dinner tonight." He told her. "Now go."

She hurried from the room in tears. Harry was waiting for her, and he pulled her into his arms. "It's alright Serenity, he's just a big greasy git. Ignore him." He wrapped an arm around her and led her to lunch.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was making his way through the corridors after dinner when his mother's owl swooped down upon him. It was unusual for the owl to track him down rather than waiting for breakfast, as his mother had told him it would. He stopped and untied the letter, the tired owl taking off for a well-deserved rest. He undid the scroll of parchment and his eyes widened, taking in the words. Abruptly he set off at a run back towards the Great Hall, hoping against all hope that he could catch his godfather before he left.

* * *

Thank you to my reviewers for Chapter five, Alycee Lanet, megumisakura, Delilah, Lily Marie Wolfe, and last but not least LadyArcana81, who helps keep me in the realm of what makes sense.


	7. Draco's Frustrations

Thank you to Lily Marie Wolfe, LadyArcana81, Delilah, and destinysings, my reviews for last chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Chapter Seven

* * *

Lucius Malfoy sipped his tea and stared for what seemed to be the hundredth time at the two pieces of old parchment containing family trees spread out on the table. They were magical, of course, two of many the ministry kept to automatically track births, marriages, and deaths in the old families. These two in particular bore the headings of "Potter" and "Black."

When he had first seen the girl in Diagon Alley, something about her had struck him as familiar, though if asked he could not place his wand on it. When Draco sent him the letter on his first night at Hogwarts, he knew he was on to something. To his recollection, James Potter had been the only child of an only child, and had no other living relatives to speak of. And so, when Draco wrote that the girl was apparently his cousin on his father's side, well, that had to be looked into.

Retrieving the records had been simple enough. He had friends in all departments of the ministry, and they were more than happy to help. The Potter's genealogy had been as expected; the Potter line ended in Harry Potter. There was nobody named Serenity listed. After that, he'd had to think of where else to look to explain this strange familiarity. First, he'd tried his own family tree, but predictably found nothing. He knew the genealogy by heart, but he had to look. He tried his mother's too, but even that yielded no clues.

It was not until Narcissa came to fetch him for tea that he figured it out. It was the child's eyes that had called to him. Her blue eyes were very much like his wife's at that age, when she was young and innocent. He'd left then without waiting for tea, returning minutes later with the Black family tree. This he spread out on his desk while Narcissa looked on in confusion.

There.

Beside Narcissa's name was the name of her sister Bellatrix, who was connected by a golden line denoting marriage to Rodolphus Lestrange. To the other side of this, however was a black line (denoting an affair) connecting her to the name "Tom Riddle," which had "Lord Voldemort" written in quotations below it. The funny thing about these genealogies was their tendency to record a birth name followed by whatever name the witch or wizard chose to call themselves (this often resulted in some interesting nicknames beneath children's entries).

The black line joining Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort had a jagged line (denoting illegitimacy) leading down from it. At the end of this line was the name "Serenity Riddle," followed then by "Serenity Potter."

Peering over his shoulder, Narcissa gave a soft gasp, and ran to owl Draco.

* * *

Just outside of the Great Hall Draco Malfoy collided with Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore managed to catch him and keep both of them from tumbling to the ground, but it the process Draco dropped the letter.

"There now, Mr. Malfoy. You shouldn't be running in the halls." He said kindly, stooping to pick up the parchment. The old wizard glanced over it, and his eyes widened. Abruptly he gripped Malfoy's shoulder, leading him away.

"Professor, where are we going?!" Malfoy tried to protest, attempting to twist free.

Dumbledore did not answer until they reached an empty classroom. Shutting the door behind him he lifted his wand and pointed it at Malfoy. He spoke no words to cast his spell, but when he had finished his voice was grave. "This is something that no one can know, Mr. Malfoy. As such, I have made it impossible for you to tell anyone who does not need to know the identity of Ms. Potter. Do you understand?"

Malfoy scowled and looked ready to protest, but he saw that it would do no good. "Yes sir." Dumbledore patted his shoulder kindly, and left the room with his letter in hand. Draco tried to say her name, but could not. Frustrated, he ran for the chalkboard in an attempt to write the message, but found that his hand would not cooperate. He tried again to speak the words, and still he could not. He tried to scream them, to write them with his wand. In a last-ditch effort, he even tried to write to his father to tell him to owl Professor Snape, but Dumbledore's spell wouldn't even allow that.

It was no use. Although he knew the truth about Serenity Potter, he could not tell the one man his father said needed to know.

* * *

Serenity walked slowly as she made her way to the dungeons, in no great hurry to find out if the troll threat was real. Compulsively she reached into her pocket, caressing the black earring she carried like a good luck charm. She stopped before Professor Snape's office door (at least she thought it was the door to his office) and took a deep breath to calm herself before knocking.

There was no answer, and after a moment she hesitantly opened the door and stepped inside. The room was only dimly lit, and Serenity could just make out fluid-filled jars on the shelves along the walls. She was certain the jars held other things too, but she didn't want to look too closely. For a few minutes she shifted from foot to foot nervously, curious about the room, but nervous too.

She paced about the office nervously. As she glanced at the door however she stopped paying attention to her feet, and managed to trip over a cabinet door that was not closed. Though she knew she shouldn't, she stooped to peer inside, spotting a dirty blanket. She reached out to caress the soft-looking material, lifting it from its place. Something fell out and she stooped to pick it up. It was a magical photograph.

It contained her professor, who looked much younger than he did now. In his arms he held a baby, an infant girl who leaned against his shoulder sucking her thumb. The pair of them smiled and waved. Suddenly the professor jumped back as a baby boy on what looked like a toy broomstick zoomed past. The professor laughed, holding the girl close. Serenity wondered if perhaps this was his daughter, and if it was, where she could be now.

Serenity was so entranced by the scene that she did not hear Snape enter the room. He paused, standing over her with a dark scowl. "Do you enjoy snooping in other people's things, Ms. Potter?" He demanded coldly. Deftly, he reached out to snatch the photo from her hands.

Serenity trembled. "I...I..professor that is...um..."

His eyes were blank, empty like a tunnel. But his tone was furious as he snarled, "I don't care, get out! Go see Filch! He will deal with your detention, go!" She ran. Suddenly, dueling trolls didn't sound so bad after all.

* * *

After that first week at Hogwarts, Serenity noticed a curious shift in the behavior of one Draco Malfoy. Although his attitude towards most Gryffindors did not change, he began to be oddly kind to her. During their first flying lesson (after Harry had been taken away by Professor McGonagall), he helped her position herself on the broom, and even reached out to catch her when she nearly toppled off.

Somehow, she and broomsticks just didn't seem to get along. Her balance just wasn't right, as though her body was not made to ride one. Serenity wished it were the only class where she felt so off, but it was not. Transfiguration, Charms, and especially Potions posed problems for her.

Malfoy seemed to notice her Potions ineptitude, and he started a habit of seating himself next to her, even going so far as to move to sit with her when she didn't sit beside him right away. He guided her through most of the class, even when Professor Snape glared at him for it. Once, when he caught her about to add too many crushed spiders he reached out and stopped her hand, patiently removing a third of them first. She smiled gratefully.

The Slytherins gave him funny looks for his efforts. He wished he could explain to them that he was doing it because she was the Dark Lord's daughter and his cousin, but of course he could not. Pansy Parkinson tried to remind him that Serenity was just an ugly Gryffindor, but Draco shook his head. He would not have the girl on his bad side when the Dark Lord returned.

Harry had noticed Malfoy's friendliness and didn't like it one bit. He tried to talk to Serenity about it, but as it had been with her prince, she brushed his concerns aside. "Really Harry, he's just being nice."

"Nice?!" Harry hissed as he looked across the table at her. "He's bloody Draco Malfoy! You heard what Ron said about them! They're Dark wizards, Serenity."

She looked exasperated. "So what if Ron doesn't like him. He's only eleven, like us. I doubt he's really a Dark Wizard now Harry, honestly." She'd left the table then, unable to listen any longer.

As the leaves began to change and drop in the courtyard Draco found himself still unable to work around Professor Dumbledore's spell. Despite this, he had made a regular habit of trying to say the name "Serenity Riddle" out loud. He could have sworn he'd tried (and failed) to say it around nearly every student and professor in the school. So it was out of habit that as he sat in Defense Against the Dark Arts taking a quiz that he mumbled "Serenity Riddle is Serenity Potter." It took him a full five seconds to realize he'd been able to say it, and his eyes shot to the partially open classroom door. Professor Dumbledore could just be seen passing.

He was so busy ensuring that he hadn't been caught by Dumbledore that he missed the startled (then self-satisfied) look Professor Quirrell shot him.

* * *

"M-Ms. P-Potter, are you l-listening? Ms. Potter?" Quirrell's eyes were locked on Serenity, who, as usual, was fast asleep. Harry tapped her arm and she jerked awake, her face flushing when she noticed that she was being watched. "P-Please r-return here at f-five-o-clock to-tonight Ms. P-P-Potter. We will d-discuss your pu-punishment then." Quirrell said.

Serenity groaned. "But tonight is Halloween!" She complained.

"Well, y-you s-should have th-thought of that be-before, Ms. Potter." He responded before turning back to the board. He had been looking for an excuse to get her alone, now that he knew what he needed to do.

She arrived at the appointed time, and Quirrell opened the door to let her in. He shut it firmly behind himself and locked it, then raised his wand and pointed it at her back.

Serenity fell.

* * *

Well, it's a bit shorter than I would like, but this seemed like the best place to end the chapter even though poor Snape is still in the dark. Let me know what you think, please.


	8. The First Attempt

Well, I considered waiting a few more days before putting this out, but it's finished and next week will be a bit crazy, so I figured I may as well get it out there.

Thank you to my reviews for chapter seven, LadyArcana81 and Anexia.

Chapter Eight

* * *

It was like a dream.

Serenity felt herself floating in a beautiful rainbow pool of light, surrounded by warmth. She could heard soft murmurs in the distance, bidding her to sleep. That sounded like a nice idea. She was so comfortable in this warm light, she didn't want to wake up.

There was another voice in the back of her head telling her that something was wrong, but she brushed it off. No, everything was right in this lovely place, she just knew it had to be. She would sleep here for a little while. . .

Quirrell stalked around the body of the girl held suspended in the air by his spell. Her body glowed, bright rainbow lights dancing around her form and concentrating near her heart. His eyes darted to her forehead, where a golden crescent moon symbol glowed, ensuring him that his information was, indeed, correct.

"You are certain this will work, Master?" He murmured.

"You doubt me?. . ." An unseen voice hissed.

"No master." Quirrell answered quickly, dropping his gaze to the flask in his hand. The small flask had begun to slowly fill with a silver liquid, which his Master said was all he needed to complete the spell to regain his power. The draining, however, would take more than an hour to complete, and he felt that a hidden room on the third floor would offer the smallest chance of unwanted interruptions. The students were already barred from the area, just to make sure the other professors would stay away from the place, he'd designed a series of "distractions," beginning with a troll in the school.

Quirrell's eyes raked over the child's form once more, reassuring himself that young Serenity Riddle was indeed asleep. "When you regain your body Master, we should remember to thank young Malfoy for this information." He said, as he pocketed the flask and checked the wards once more.

A dark laugh was the only response.

* * *

"Troll! Troll! In the Dungeons! Thought you ought to know." Quirrell fake-fainted even as screams erupted around him. In the confusion, Severus Snape slipped out a side door, unnoticed by the other professors.

He hurried upstairs, skillfully avoiding the student stampede, and made his way to the forbidden third floor corridor. He unlocked it with a word and slipped inside, deciding to check on the dog first.

Fluffy was behaving very strangely. He whined when Severus approached, two of his heads staring down a side corridor while the third stared imploringly at him. Snape sniffed.

"Don't look at me like that, you great beast." He spat irritably. Something didn't feel right. There was a hint of dark magic in the air that unsettled him. Drawing his wand, he made his way in the direction of the dog's stare, following the odd pull. He peered into each room as he passed, only to find them all empty, abandoned, unused for many years as he expected. Hogwarts had once had many more students, as he understood, but the Wizarding Wars had taken their toll on the magical population, and the classes of the past few years had been much smaller than they once were. Had the class size been what it was in his day, it was unlikely that they would have been able to empty an entire corridor for something like this.

Jerking his thoughts back to the present he reached the end of the hall, only to find the door heavily warded, which seemed wrong. He reached out with his mind, but could sense nothing behind the many layers of spells. Yet something called to him, something beyond the dark magic, and he knew he must find out what it was. Carefully, he began to dismantle the wards.

The entrance to the corridor flew open, and Professor Quirrell stumbled inside. "S-Severus!" He called. He'd felt the wards being disturbed, and he was so close! Just minutes more.

Snape snarled under his breath. "Down here, help me you fool!" He called. If this was Quirrell's doing. . .

Quirrell appeared at the end of the hall and let out a startled gasp. "Wh-What are you d-doing, Se-Severus?"

Snape grunted as he encountered a particularly tricky spell. "These don't belong here. Help me get them down!" He snapped. Quirrell stumbled forward, his mind working frantically. He made the appearance of helping, all the while trembling madly and trying to strengthen the wards against Snape.

The Potions Master, upon realizing that Quirrell was quite useless, shoved him aside. The urge to get inside the room was growing stronger, and with one final blast of power, the door burst open. Snape hurried inside, Quirrell on his heels. Snape's eyes took in the sight in front of him. Ms. Potter was floating, suspended in the air, a faint rainbow glow surrounding her.

But when his eyes locked on her forehead, he took a sharp, surprised breath. There, between her eyes, a golden crescent glowed, one which was as familiar to him as the back of his own hand. Only his Serenity bore that mark. Before he had time to process anything else his feet carried him forward, and he forgot to be careful.

He hit the second set of wards head on, and was thrown brutally back against the stone wall with a loud CRACK! He saw stars dancing in front of his vision. It almost looked like two Quirrells were bending over him now, saying something his foggy mind could not pick up. He should sleep. He should close his eyes, and the ache would stop.

But he couldn't do that.

_Why not?_

His gaze sought a small glowing form, and his eyes sharpened. Brutally he threw up his mental shields, blocking whatever spell was trying to subdue him. He would not lose her again. He reached out and smacked Quirrell's hand, knocking his wand away. His mind refocused and he stood, running to the girl as the light began to die. Again, the wards blocked him.

"Serenity!" He cried desperately, searching his robes for his wand. He had to get to her before the light died. If the light was gone he would lose her again, he was sure of it. "Accio wand!" He finally called when he failed to locate it.

He didn't notice when the door opened again, nor did he notice the thump as Quirrell fainted once more. He looked up just long enough to catch sight of a very irritated Headmaster before his vision went black.

Serenity woke the next morning to find Harry leaning over her, shaking her awake. "Hey, come on. You fell asleep by the fire and we'll be late for breakfast if you don't hurry." She yawned and stretched, mumbling an affirmation before stumbling to her room, feeling as though she'd never slept at all. Harry followed, hand on her arm. "Hey, you're going to come to the library with us and study right? I heard Malfoy invite you to study with him, but I would rather you not." He said. He had been trying, without much success, to limit her exposure to the Slytherins.

She yawned sleepily and rubbed her eyes. "I'll come with you for a while, but I told Draco I would meet him later." Harry released her, his mind in too much shock at hearing Malfoy's given name to respond.

Quirrell remembered nothing at all of the past week or so, an effect Madam Pomfrey said was probably induced by all the stress he'd been under. He did not recall fainting at the at the feast or wandering off afterwards. "You seem to have hit your head rather hard." Madam Pomfrey tutted. "It's a good thing the Headmaster and Severus found you, since you wandered into the forbidden corridor. In your state, who knows what could have happened?"

Snape strolled past him then, leaving the Infirmary without a word.

* * *

The first Slytherin verses Gryffindor Quidditch match took place a couple weeks later, in November. The Gryffindors ended it with a sound victory, but only after a curse nearly knocked Harry from his broom and he nearly swallowed the Golden Snitch. When the match was over his house poured onto the field to congratulate the team, all screaming wildly.

But one face was peculiarly absent from the crowd, and he did not see said face until she crept into the common room sometime around eleven. Harry lowered the library book he'd been skimming, his expression irritated. The last of the party-goers had finally dispersed less than ten minutes prior.

"Where have you been?" Harry demanded.

She eeped and jumped, whirling to face him. "You scared me Harry! I was visiting Prince Diamond." she answered, "Now excuse me, I'm going to bed."

Harry moved to block her path. "What day is today?" He demanded.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "It's...oh no." Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh Harry I'm so sorry!"

"Save it!" He spat. He turned on his heel and stalked up to his room. He had put up with Malfoy's constant proximity to her and her vanishing acts, but this was too much. "I don't want to talk to you!"

"Oh Harry. . ." She moved towards him, but he headed up the tower steps and was gone. Dejected, Serenity made her way up to the first year girls' room and flopped on her bed. She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out the small stuffed unicorn the prince had given her, hugging it tightly before placing it with the other animals on her bed.

Her arrival (though she'd tried to be quiet) woke the other girls, who sat up and looked towards her. Hermione yawned and glanced at the clock. "Did you just get in Serenity?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, sorry. Did I wake you?" Serenity looked over sheepishly.

"No matter." Said Parvati, throwing back the covers. "I want to know who you've been sneaking out to see!" She announced, padding over in her fuzzy slippers to sit on Serenity's bed. This caught Lavender's attention.

"Oh! So do I! Is it an older student?" She asked, her eyes going starry. "A secret love?"

Serenity blinked, startled by this. Love? She laughed. "No way. I've known Prince Diamond forever, so that's silly."

"Prince Diamond? Who's that?" Lavender prodded, hopping over to her bed. Serenity giggled, relaying the tale of her handsome prince.

Hermione listened, her brow furrowed in worry as she made a note to ask Harry about this in the morning. Surely, sneaking off the grounds to visit a grown man wasn't safe? But somehow, she seemed to be the only one who had reached this conclusion, since the others only gave her strange looks when she voiced it.

* * *

The Christmas holidays drew near, and still Harry wasn't speaking to her. It seemed that her telling of Prince Diamond's tale to the other girls had only served to annoy him further. This was the longest fight they'd ever had, even longer than the one that summer. They'd both signed up to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas break as soon as the list appeared, pleased to be able to avoid returning to the Durlsey's. However, she knew the break would likely be a very boring one if Harry still insisted on not talking to her.

It was with these thoughts in mind that she rose from the Gryffindor table, nearly bumping into Malfoy who had come to talk to her. "Before I forget Serenity, my father asked me to extend an invitation to you to spend the Christmas holiday with us at Malfoy Manor. Would you like to?" He asked, keeping his expression carefully neutral. It wouldn't do to look too eager, after all.

Serenity froze. The invitation had come from nowhere, and she hadn't been expecting it. But she was never given a chance to answer. Although he was angry with her, and he hadn't trusted her enough to fill her in on his suspicions regarding the third floor, Harry still loved her, and still believed he was responsible for her.

"No." Harry stood from his seat. "She's not going anywhere with the likes of you, Malfoy." Ron moved to back him up, and Hermione hurried to make sure things didn't get out of hand.

"You tell him mate." Ron egged him on.

Malfoy sneered. "I don't believe I asked you, Potter. I asked Serenity."

"And I told you she isn't going!" Harry snapped at Malfoy before turning to Serenity. "You're not going, tell him so."

Serenity's face puffed up, and she stamped her foot childishly. "You're not my father, Harry! I can do whatever I like!" She was quite fed up with his behavior, and didn't mind telling him so. "You just can't stand it that I like someone you don't!" She was nearly yelling now, "Draco is my friend, Harry, and-"

"Is there a problem here?" Dumbledore's kindly blue eyes twinkled down at the feuding first years.

Harry answered quickly before anyone else had a chance. "Malfoy wants Serenity to go to his house for break!" He exclaimed.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Oh? Is that so? Do you have a note from your guardian permitting you to spend the Christmas holidays elsewhere, Serenity?" Dumbledore asked. Although it was imperceptible to most, his voice had gone a shade colder.

Serenity fumbled. "A-a note? From Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia? Um, no sir, I don't have anything like that."

Dumbledore nodded sagely. "Then of course you cannot go. School rules and such." And he left, leaving no more room for argument.

He took his place at the head table, and Snape glanced at him as he took a sip from his goblet. "What was that about?" he asked conversationally

Dumbledore reached for a delicious-looking roll. "A minor dispute over who is going where for the Christmas break. Mr. Malfoy asked Ms. Potter to spend Christmas with him. Harry refused on her behalf, and rightly so."

Snape's expression was unreadable. "She should spend it with her cousin." He said, his gaze moving to the three unhappy students.

* * *

Much more fun to write than the last chapter, I'll say that much. Let me know what you think, and tell me who you want to see more of during the filler/fluffy scenes please.


	9. Say That Ten Times Fast

"She should spend it with her cousin." Snape said, his gaze moving to the three unhappy students. Dumbledore wasn't fooled.

"With you, you mean?" Dumbledore asked nonchalantly as he buttered his roll. Severus's grip tightened on his goblet.

"Yes." He answered tightly. "With her cousin, and by extension, with me." His eyes cut to the side to glare at the Headmaster. "She never should have been kept from me." He hissed.

Still, Dumbledore seemed unperturbed. "You know why I took the actions I did, Severus." His tone was serious now, his voice low to keep from being overheard. "It was safer for Harry that way."

Harry, Harry, always for Harry Bloody Potter! What about Serenity? What about him, Severus? The girl needed him, and he needed her. If he had his way she would never have been anywhere near Potter spawn. His usually well-controlled anger flared.

Snape started when the contents of the goblet he held suddenly exploded, drenching all near him with flying pumpkin juice. McGonagall jumped, Flitwick yelled and fell from his chair, Dumbledore ducked much more quickly than Snape would have thought possible given the old man's age, and several students at the ends of the tablets shrieked when drops hit them. Snape sat, blinking juice from his eyes as he stared at the goblet in surprise. That was. . . He hadn't done accidental magic since he was seven. Unsettled, Snape stood and left the Hall.

A wave of his wand and the Headmaster cleared the mess, chuckling at what he said was obviously an end-of-term prank by one of the students.

Serenity woke on Christmas morning to Hermione's joyous shout of "Happy Christmas Serenity!" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up, a gasp escaping her as she spotted a small pile of gifts where she had expected only two, Harry's (the Malfoy-free week during the holiday seemed to have ended their fight) and Prince Diamond's. She found Harry's gift on top, two vials of the color-changing ink she liked (he'd finally grown tired of her snatching his, apparently). Next she opened one left by her prince, containing a rather large stuffed hippo and barrettes for her hair that looked like they had diamonds on them (they were probably fake, but with Prince Diamond, who knew?). Ron and Hermione each gave her candy, sugar quills and licorice wands, respectively. Still, another gift remained.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, for this one lacked a gift tag. Hermione peered over at her as she set another book from her parents aside. "Who's that one from?" She asked.

"It doesn't say." Serenity responded, turning it over in her hands. It was heavy, and sort of felt like a book. Upon opening it, Serenity confirmed that she was correct. The mysterious present was in fact a Potions book. "Well, that's an odd gift." She murmured.

"May I see it?" Hermione asked. Nodding absently, Serenity handed it over after checking quickly to confirm that there was indeed no card within.

Hermione gasped. "Serenity, do you know what this is?!" Serenity's blank look confirmed that she did not grasp the significance of it. "This is Severus Prince's_ Perfect Potions Preparations_. This book is nearly impossible to find, and it's supposed to be one of the best Potions books there is!" She touched the cover reverently, admiring the simple green lettering set in the black binding.

Serenity sat beside her, and they opened the book to a random page to look it over, both impressed by the detail contained within. Serenity laughed. "Well, maybe whoever gave this to me is sick of watching me melt my cauldrons. Who knows, it might even improve my grades!" She took the book and put it away, the pair of them plotting to scare the boys awake.

* * *

Snape watched as the four of them, Potter, Weasley, Granger, and Serenity entered the Great Hall for the Christmas Feast. The girls were giggling madly and the boys looked distinctly put-out.

"But your face Harry!" Serenity laughed.

"Not funny!" Harry groused.

Several times during the meal Snape caught himself watching her. It had been a bittersweet revelation to find her. Sweet because it meant she was alive and well and magical, and bitter because she could not know the truth. Snape gritted his teeth to keep from snarling. The Headmaster had sworn him to secrecy, forbidding him to speak of it unless the girl indicated to him that she already knew the truth.

Snape gritted his teeth as he watched her laughing with Potter' brat. It was killing him. Because of his behavior towards her as a Gryffindor the girl didn't trust or even like him. His heart ached as he thought of what had been, of the little girl who had loved him unconditionally. He wondered if he would ever get her back.

As the feast drew to a close, an owl flew into the Great Hall. This struck him as odd, since what owl post there was had arrived hours before. This particular owl, a laughing owl, Snape recognized, though he'd seen one only once before, settled itself on Serenity's chair and hooted softly.

Serenity turned with a happy squeal when she saw what was probably the most adorable owl ever peering at her. She reached out to pet it and fed it bits of turkey from her plate before relieving it of its burden. The owl nuzzled her, waiting to see if it would receive more treats.

The letter was addressed to her from Draco. Smiling brightly, she opened it and began to read. She let out a squeal, and Harry leaned over her shoulder to read it. "What?" He asked, and she held it out to him. He read it over and rolled his eyes.

"Draco says the owl's mine. It's my Christmas present!" She chirped happily, reaching out reverently to pet the owl again. "He says I can even name her." Enamored with her present, she didn't notice at first when the others started standing. Blushing, she stood and quickly shoved her letter into a pocket of her cloak, returning to the common room with Harry and his friends to fetch her snow things before they headed outside to play.

It was only later that night as she read over the letter once more that she noticed something written at the bottom she could swear hadn't been there before. The writing was fancy, almost aristocratic-looking, but unfamiliar. It read "Please go to Professor Snape and tell him 'I am a Riddle.' All will then become clear.'"

Serenity didn't have time to ponder the oddness of the postscript, however, as Hermione had poked her head into their room and asked her to come play games with them in the common room. They sat in the comfy chairs near the fire playing games of exploding snap, gobstones (Serenity quickly learned to duck when she missed a point, so Ron tended to bear the brunt of her nasty-smelling squirts), and wizard's chess (during which Ron throughly trounced her in revenge).

The rest of the holidays passed in a blur, and soon the other students returned and classes began once more. The teachers were as relentless as ever, and Serenity found herself floundering almost as badly as she had in muggle school in everything but Potions. Prince's book proved invaluable to her, and even Snape seemed pleased with her work. Once in the middle of February, she even caught him smiling at her.

The only thing that dampened her spirits was Harry's constant secrecy with his other friends. Though they were nice to her, Serenity was certain that there was something they weren't telling her.

* * *

Serenity wrapped her cloak more tightly around herself. He'd taken her to the ocean this time. The wind blowing off the water was chilly, but the view of the sunset more than made up for it. She ate one of the chocolate frogs she'd brought (Diamond didn't really care for them since one hopped on him and left a chocolate smudge on his suit), telling him about the weeks that had passed since she last saw him.

"So first Ron gets hurt and has to go to the Hospital Wing, then Harry goes and loses almost 150 points in one go, and won't even tell me why! It's not fair!" She complained, biting the head off her frog viciously.

Diamond gave her a patronizing smile, patting her back gently. "Well, you know I'd never keep anything from you." He assured her quietly.

She leaned against him with a satisfied sigh. "I know you wouldn't." They stayed like that for several minutes more as the sun slowly sank beyond the horizon. Diamond wrapped an arm around her, then froze suddenly, his head tilted to the side as though listening to something.

"I'm coming." He murmured, almost too quiet for her to hear. An instant later he was on his feet, tugging her up. "I must go." He told her. He held her tightly as they vanished, reappearing just beyond the lining of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. He hugged her once more, and then was gone to answer his brother's call.

Normally when he dropped her off he lingered just out of sight of the castle and watched her until she'd entered the large front doors. He'd never left her alone in the forest before, and she was frightened. She heard a strange sound to her left and screamed, running towards where she thought the castle was, tearing through brush and catching her cloak on branches in her panic. Confused and lost, she ran further into the forest.

* * *

Harry froze. "Malfoy, did you hear that?" Something. . . slithering?

Malfoy shook his head. "I didn't anything." He said, ducking under a branch on the path.

"I could have sworn I just heard. . . there, again!" Harry hissed.

This time Malfoy did freeze. "Yes, I definitely heard that one Potter." He turned towards the noise, peering into the darkness of the trees. "Do you think it was-oof!" He yelped, stumbling back as a blond blur crashed into him and knocked them both to the ground. "What in the blazes? Serenity!"

Sure enough, Serenity had run headlong into him without looking. Harry reached out to help her up. "Are you alright Serenity? What happened? Why are you all the way out here?"

She clung to him, then, muttering a muffled "got lost" into his robes. Draco stood and dusted himself off, jealousy coloring his features as he glared at Harry. He paused, his eyes flitting to the ground where a piece of dropped parchment lay. Curious, he knelt to fetch it.

"Well however you got here, you might as well stay with us then, since you don't want to go back alone." Harry said, reaching to take her hand. "We're supposed to be looking for injured unicorns." She gasped, looking horrified.

"Who would ever hurt a unicorn?" She asked in a frightened whisper.

"Nothing good, that's for sure." Said Draco, moving to take her other hand and shooting Harry a dirty look. They continued down the path, Serenity clinging to both of their hands tightly.

After almost an hour they pushed their way past some woody shrubs and entered a clearing. Serenity gasped. The brilliant white unicorn lay dead, surrounded by a pool of silvery blood. Malfoy let go of her hand and took a step towards it, only to retreat when the slithery noise again reached his ears. A hooded figure emerged on the other side of the clearing and Draco gave a shout, retreating with Fang hot on his heels.

Serenity was rooted to the spot in horror. She didn't move until Harry's groan of pain reached her ears. He was clutching his forehead and trying to get away. The figure seemed to grin under its hood and lunged towards him.

Almost without thinking she threw herself between them, pushing Harry out of the way as something sliced across her back. She screamed and fell in the shadow of the trees, barely registering as the figure was shoved off of her and chased away. Weakly, she tried to crawl towards the clearing, but the slightest movement caused her to cry out, and she slumped further into the darkness. She did not feel the arms that wrapped around her and lifted her from the forest floor.

As the pain in his scar faded, Harry watched with wide eyes as a centaur placed her on her side in the middle of the clearing, allowing the moonlight to grace her injured skin.

"What are you doing?!" Harry demanded, panicked. "She needs to go back to the castle, she needs to see Madame Pomfrey!"

Firenze held up his hand. "Patience, Harry Potter. The moon must have a moment to help her, or she will not heal." After what seemed like an eternity to Harry the centaur lifted her again. "Climb on my back, Harry Potter, and I shall return you to Hogwarts."

* * *

Ah midterms. Why is it that the best ideas like to pop in my head in the middle of exams? It's really annoying, actually. It's much more difficult to remember the structure and pKa of Leucine when plot bunnies are hopping in your head!

And of course, thank you as always to my lovely reviewers destinysings, Katana Nightingale, Alycee Lanet, and LadyArcana81 (who has gained the official title of sounding board and the unofficial title of muse. You'll see more of her influence later, my readers. Thanks LadyArcana81!)


	10. Voldemort's Daughter

Alright, so, I tried to clear up any confusion in this chapter. If anyone is still lost, mention it in a review and I'll get back to you.

* * *

Chapter Ten

He had to move quickly. Quirrell dashed from the forest up to the castle and slipped in a side entrance, all the while clutching a bottle to his chest. The girl had appeared at just the right time. The unicorns were a last resort to lengthen his life until such time as the stone could be acquired. It would let him survive, but only just. The potion he could make from the girl's blood would work much better.

His master was brilliant to suggest using_ that_ potion on the claws he'd created from his hands. The magic ensured that once struck, his victim would bleed until he wished otherwise, an effect which was about to come in handy.

He sat by the fireplace in his room once the preparations for the potion were complete, carefully examining the vial of red blood he held in his hand. His master had told him the liquid was potent, though not so much as the raw magic he'd tried to collect on Halloween. Quirrell smirked as he stood, moving to simmering cauldron to carefully add three drops of the moon girl's blood. He grinned as he watched three new drops materialize near the top and drip into the vial.

Dumbledore was a fool to think he could see past the Occlumency shields of his master. The Dark Lord had protected Quirrell's mind from losing the knowledge he needed of the girl and her power, thus allowing him time to find another way to harness it. He chuckled as he recalled the excuse he'd fed the

old coot about recognizing the girl for what she was, and the need to experiment on her to find out the effects of it on her body. The Headmaster had not been amused, and thought to put a stop to his research with a quick mind charm. Ha.

The particular potion he'd chosen for his task was designed to extract the maximum amount of magic from the blood drawn from her unwilling flesh. It would extend his life and ease the tax on his magic, all while lightening the unwanted effects of the unicorn blood that necessity had demanded he drink. Of course, one drawback was the constant need to drink the blood potion lest his borrowed strength fail, but once he had the stone he would be free of that as well.

Quirrell licked his lips as he stirred the potion clockwise thrice and added three more drops of blood. Soon, this potion would give him the strength needed to fetch the stone, and finally restore his master to power once and for all. Once he'd succeeded (and he would!), his master would reward him greatly.

Perhaps, if he was lucky, his master would let him keep the girl for the experiments he had told Dumbledore he was doing anyway.

Two more days and he would have all the blood he needed to complete the potion. One more week and the potion would be ready, then the stone would be his.

* * *

Serenity opened tired eyes when she heard the rustle of her curtains being pulled back. She'd been in the Hospital Wing for more than a day, and still her back ached horribly.

"Hey," called Draco softly. "How are you doing?" He made his way to her bedside, creeping past a sleeping Harry. "I brought you something." He laid an expensive-looking box of chocolates and a card on her bedside stand. "I see you're tired, so I'll come back later, alright? Get better soon. And Serenity..." Here, he looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, alright?"

Serenity nodded and yawned before the sleeping potion she'd taken won out and she slipped back into dreamland.

Two days later, with the pain in her back mostly gone and Harry shooed away by Madam Pomfrey, she gingerly started sorting through the gifts left on her stand. Her newly-mended back stretched and protested the movement, so she moved slowly.

Apparently, the rumor going around the school was that she'd protected Harry from some dangerous animal. As such, she had cards and well-wishes from students she'd never spoken to before. Harry was fine, of course, and he'd sent her some chocolate frogs and a copy of Hermione's notes. She groaned as she looked at them, figuring she'd better get a move on if she wanted to pass. But a few more letters wouldn't hurt, right?

The next one she picked up belonged to Draco. Tucked inside was a dirty, crumpled piece of parchment. Curious, she smoothed out the wrinkles and reread what turned out to be her Christmas letter, again coming to the mysterious postscript.

"Where in the world did he find this?...I am a riddle." She murmured. "Draco's barmy." She shook her head.

The curtain opened and she turned to see Professor Snape, potion in hand. Madam Pomfrey could be seen leaning over another bed, apparently administering Calming Draught to an older student.

"The last dose of your potion, Ms. Potter." He said, pouring it into a goblet and setting it on the stand. It was one he'd brewed himself, designed to overcome the poison which kept her back from healing. He moved to help her sit up, handling her with surprising gentleness and care. She accepted the goblet of purple liquid with a murmur of thanks, gulping down the thick liquid with a wince.

Snape took the goblet and set it on her stand before pulling a chair close to her bed and taking a seat, uninvited. "Since you seem to be nearly recovered, Ms. Potter, I believe it is time to discuss what you were doing in Forbidden Forest."

Serenity squirmed uncomfortably. Sure, she'd told Harry and the other girls in her year about Prince Diamond, but she somehow felt that telling Professor Snape would be different. Her eyes dropped to her lap, and she said nothing.

Snape's lips pressed together in a thin line. How could he protect the girl if he didn't know what to look out for? He was certain that Quirrell had something to do with it, but he could not prove it. All he could do was make sure that she stayed out of the forest. "I'm waiting Ms. Potter."

Serenity thought quickly. What to tell him? "I. . .I. . .I was worried about Harry. I was going to wait near the forest on the lawn, but I heard something and panicked. I. . .I was scared and went to find Harry." Well, it was partially the truth.

Snape did not look pleased. In fact, he looked downright furious. She'd heard from the older students that nobody had ever been able to lie to him because he could read minds. Apparently, the rumors were true.

He stood, snatching the goblet from the table and heading for the door. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for your stupidity Ms. Potter, and detention with me, starting after your last final and ending either when school lets out for the summer or you decide to tell me the truth."

Serenity stared at him, open-mouthed. She balled up the piece of parchment in her lap and hurled it after him in a temper.

He caught it without turning around. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

* * *

Finals were, quite frankly, hell on parchment. By the end of the week Serenity was quite convinced she wouldn't have to serve her detentions with Snape because she was going to be chucked out of Hogwarts.

She was so nervous that during her Defense Against the Dark Arts exam she knocked her spare quill off the table without noticing. Professor Quirrell happened to be passing her desk at the time and retrieved it for her, placing it back on her desk with a nervous smile. He moved on down the row, pulling a corked bottle from his robes and taking a sip from it.

With their exams finished and only the grading left, most students headed out on the grounds to relax, but not her. Instead, she found herself in the dungeons, knocking on the door to Professor Snape's office.

"Enter." Came the professor's icy tone.

Serenity stepped inside, looking over the mess of dirty cauldrons left from the Potions finals earlier that day.

Snape sat at his desk with bottles of final potions around himself. "Sit." He ordered, pointing at a chair across from his desk. Nervous, she tripped over her own feet in her rush to do as told.

Snape eyed her, a cold fury emanating from him. "Now, do you care to tell me what you were really doing in the forest?"

Serenity shifted. "I told you the truth." She mumbled, her eyes not quite able to meet his.

"Look at me." He snapped. If his Serenity was doing something stupid and dangerous he would find out what, and he would put a stop to it, no matter the methods he had to employ.

Slowly, her eyes lifted. Images of her prince flitted before her eyes unwillingly, and Snape looked distinctly displeased. She saw Prince Diamond, first silhouetted by the sunset on the beach, then waiting for her just within the trees of the forest, stretching a hand to receive her, then presenting her with some lovely new gift, a smile on his face. Finally, he pulled her close, and she felt again the warmth of his arms around her, the safety and protection he offered.

Displeased? No, Professor Snape looked positively _livid_. "The cauldrons are are over there. You will clean them all without magic. Go!" She scampered away, daring a look over her shoulder. The professor grabbed at the nearest potion bottle to begin his grading, his face twisted in ugly anger. Serenity suddenly felt bad for the student whose bottle he held.

She worked for what felt like hours scrubbing the cauldrons clean. She soon learned to tell who had done well and who had not, judging by the state the cauldrons were in. Mr. Scratch-On-The-Underside had a cauldron that was relatively clean, with very little mess clinging to the sides. This, according to Prince's book, usually meant that the potion had gone well. Ms. Chipped-Top on the other hand, had a foul-smelling film clinging to her cauldron. She'd be lucky to pass. Mr. Gunky-Blue-Crap-Did-You-Ever-Pay-Attention-In-Potions-You-Git had-

"One more chance Ms. Potter. Do you care to tell me what you were doing in the forest?" Snape's clipped tones cut into her thoughts. He still sat at his desk, staring at her intently.

"No sir." She mumbled.

He looked sorely disappointed. "Dismissed,and I will see you the same time tomorrow." She escaped quickly. She was so exhausted that she didn't bother stopping to speak with anyone when she returned to Gryffindor Tower. She showered quickly and went straight to bed.

She did not notice that Hermione never came up to bed. She did not know that Professor Dumbledore had left the school. She didn't have a clue that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had decided to seek the Philosopher's Stone that night.

She didn't even notice when a quill floated out of her bag and landed on her shoulder.

* * *

Harry stood face to face with Voldemort. The latter smirked at him from the back of Professor Quirrell's head. "Oh yes Harry Potter. You will die, and I will rule. All I need is the stone and. . . my daughter."

Harry looked first startled, then disgusted. "Who in her right mind would sleep with you?!" He yelled, trying to distract Voldemort so he could inch towards the exit, the stone safely in his pocket.

Voldemort laughed. "Watch." He said. "Bring her!" He ordered Quirrell.

"Yes my Lord." Quirrell lifted his wand and cried "Portus Activus!"

Harry sucked in a breath. "No." He whispered.

Serenity startled awake as she appeared, floating in the air before Quirrell. She cried out in shock as she fell, and Quirrell reached out instinctively to catch her. She shrieked and Quirrell dropped her, casting a mumbled charm.

She stood silently, and Quirrell patted her head. "Good girl, my pretty little daughter." Voldemort said, sending Harry an evil smirk. Seeing that the boy was sufficiently distracted, he hissed "Kill him."

Serenity watched with empty eyes as they fought. She did not react when Quirrell pinned Harry to the floor and tried to strangle him. She took only a single faltering step forward when Harry grabbed Quirrell's face, and his flesh turned to dust. Only when Voldemort exited Quirrell's body and left him for dead did she finally escape the spell.

"No!"

Voldemort shot forward and slammed into Harry, knocking the boy to the floor. Harry hit his head and fell unconscious, the Philosopher's Stone in his limp hand. Voldemort moved for a second blow.

"NO!" She darted forward, diving to cover Harry's still form with her own.

"Stand aside." His voice was a mere whisper. It was everywhere, and nowhere.

"No." She shook her blond head furiously. Voldemort shot forward, and would have tried to possess her as well, had Dumbledore not finally arrived.

Quirrell's body lay outstretched, reaching for a shattered potion bottle. A single drop of crimson potion glinted in the firelight of the chamber.

(Scene break)

Snape awoke abruptly in his quarters, feeling a certain weight lifting from his person. It took him a moment to place it. "She knows."

He leaped from his bed and pulled his cloak on over his gray nightshirt, pocketed a crumpled piece of parchment on his bedside table, and took off at a dead run to find her. It was only by luck that he found the Headmaster outside of the Hospital Wing. Snape skidded to a stop, his eyes wild with triumph.

"She knows!" He nearly shouted, laughing with the joy welling in him. "She knows, and you can't keep her from me anymore!"

"Severus-" As the details of the evening were recounted to him, Severus felt himself grow cold. His hand dropped to his pocket, feeling the parchment within. It was now certain that Voldemort knew his daughter still lived. The parchment in his pocket assured him that the Malfoys also knew this.

What they did not know, however, was that Voldemort wanted his child dead.

* * *

Dumbledore admitted to Harry and Serenity that Voldemort had, unfortunately, spoken the truth regarding Serenity. The Dark Lord had fathered her, and no, they were not as closely related as they had been led to believe. He did hope, however, that neither would hold a grudge over it. He mentioned nothing of her mother.

Neither child seemed to know how to handle this bit of information, and even when they finally joined the Leaving Feast they did not speak a word to each other.

Draco made his way to Serenity as soon as he spotted her, his smug look fully in place. "Serenity, my father said to tell you that he's doing everything he can to become your guardian, and as soon as the Ministry allows it he'll come for you. Until then, however, you're stuck with Potter." He spat Harry's name like a curse.

Harry watched this exchange with narrowed eyes. Serenity looked startled. "Why would your father want to do that?" She asked, clearly bewildered.

A satisfied smirk spread over his features. "Why, Serenity, didn't you know? Our mothers are sisters. That makes us first cousins."

* * *

Thank you to my Chapter Nine reviewers Rakusa, Anexia, LadyArcana81 (as always!), and Lily Marie Wolfe.

This wraps up book one. Next chapter, on to book two!


	11. PreTeen Troubles

Chapter Eleven

July 31st, and Serenity stood on the sidewalk, staring in either direction down the street. She sighed for the fifth time, and Harry looked over at her from where he lay flopped on the lawn.

"What are you on about now?" He asked, staring up at the sky.

Serenity fidgeted. "Prince Diamond. I haven't seen him since that time in the forest."

Harry groaned and sat up. "Well, look, if he abandoned you in the forest-"

"He didn't abandon me!"

"-then he obviously isn't worth worrying about, now is he?" Harry stared at her hard. Really, would the nonsense never stop?

She stomped her foot angrily. "Of course he is! Prince Diamond is my friend!"

"Well, obviously you have poor taste in friends. You like Malfoy after all."

"Oh, stuff it you bloody git!" She stormed into the house, past the cupboard with their trunks locked inside, stomped up the stairs, and yanked down the ladder to her new attic room in a huff.

This argument had occurred at least once a week since summer began, and as usual it ended with Serenity getting angry with him and storming away. Thus, when Dudley came to bother him half an hour or so later, Harry was already in a rotten mood.

The resulting chores and later house elf appearance did nothing to improve his temperament.

Three days later found Harry laying in his bed, staring morosely at the bars on his window. The Dursley's hadn't even cared that Serenity had been in the attic during the flying pudding incident. They punished her anyway, locking the ladder up and cutting the string short so Harry would have trouble getting her out should he ever get the chance.

"Psst, Harry!" Harry hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until a familiar voice woke him.

"Ron?"

The escape attempt was almost successful. Fred and George managed to get the pair of trunks up the stairs and into the car while Ron used a chair from Harry's room to unlock and open the overhead door to the attic. Serenity clambered down with Artemis' cage, and managed to get the owl safely into the car.

With Ron, Fred, George and Harry safely inside and Serenity about to climb out the window, Hedwig shrieked. "Harry!" Scolded Serenity, hurrying to fetch the owl. She tripped on the hem of her over-sized nightshirt and fell with a yelp.

There was a shout from the next room and heavy footsteps. The click of locks turning could be heard as Serenity passed Hedwig's cage out the window. The door slammed open as the boys reached to pull her in.

"Oh no you don't!" Vernon lumbered forward and grabbed her leg, yanking back hard. She cried out and the boys lost their grip, causing her to tumble back into the room.

Her frightened eyes caught Harry's, and she knew that if they lingered he would come back after her, and the entire rescue would be for nothing. "Go!" She yelled at Fred (or George?). The driving twin must have heard, because he floored it.

"Serenity!" Harry nearly threw himself out the window as they jetted away. "Serenity!" The brothers had to hold him back as Serenity was pulled away from the window.

Serenity gulped, frightened. Uncle Vernon-no, just Vernon since he wasn't really her uncle-tugged her towards the stairs. She stumbled after him, her leg throbbing where he'd grabbed it. She nearly tripped down the stairs, help upright only by his tight grip on her arm. He opened the cupboard door, flicked on the light, and snorted in disgust before pushing her against the opposite wall.

"Where did he go?!" Vernon snarled, his face inches from hers. Serenity trembled but said nothing, and Vernon shook her. "Answer me you ungrateful little brat, or it's back in the cupboard for you!"

"Unhand her, now." A man stood silhouetted in the doorway. He stepped forward and light from the cupboard fell over him, illuminating his features.

He had a very aristocratic look about him. He was fairly tall and blond. He wore expensive-looking black robes and carried a black cane engraved with silver in his left hand. His right hand held his wand, which was pointed at Vernon's chest.

Vernon sputtered. "You're one of them! What are you doing in my house?! Get out!" His face was rapidly turning red as he worked himself into a rage.

"Last chance, muggle. Release her, or suffer." His face was expressionless, but a cold fury burned in his eyes. Vernon shook, and he released Serenity.

She took a tentative step towards the wizard, and his eyes moved to her. They were the same gray as Draco's eyes, and now that she was closer, she could see that his hair was the same shade of pale blond. He reached out and took her hand with surprising gentleness, leading her towards the front door.

He paused, and looked down at her. His wand remained pointing at Vernon. "Where are your things, Serenity?"

She blinked, brow furrowed. "Um, Harry took them with him to the Wealsey's. I was supposed to go with him, but. . ." She waved her hand towards Vernon. The wizard sneered in contempt at the mention of Harry's name, but he chose not to comment on it. Instead, he took in her state of dress. She wore only an overly large t-shirt that functioned as a nightgown, the neckline slipping down over one shoulder. His sneer turned into a decided frown as he removed his cloak, wrapping it about her shoulders.

With one final glare at Vernon Dursley, he took her hand and swept from the house. They walked two houses over before it occurred to Serenity that she didn't know this man.

"E-Excuse me sir, but who are you?" Serenity asked softly.

It didn't seem that he would answer. They reached the end of the street and he pulled her close to him. They spun in place, vanishing with a pop.

When her feet hit solid ground again Serenity stumbled, but the mystery wizard's firm grip kept her from falling. "Dobby!" He yelled. With a crack, the house elf appeared.

"Yes Master?" The elf bowed low. Serenity stared at it, startled.

"Fetch something to eat for our guest. Go!" The wizard ordered, and the elf took off.

"Serenity!" Draco appeared at the top of the stairs and ran down them, grinning. "I told you my father wanted guardianship of you, and here you are!"

"Oh!" Serenity looked from Draco to the wizard who had come to fetch her, and smacked herself on the head. The man looked like Draco because he was Draco's father!

Draco's father made a displeased sound. "Take Serenity to your mother for some proper nightwear and we'll have tea in the den while I explain."

Draco took her hand and ran off to do as bid.

Ten minutes later they met in the den, a lavishly decorated room with portraits lining the walls and plenty of overstuffed chairs to sit in. Serenity settled back comfortably in a borrowed lacy pink nightrobe, chewing hungrily on a sweet as she listened intently to Uncle Lucius' (as he insisted he be called) tale.

"What Draco said was true. As soon as I realized you still lived I began seeking custody of you. Dumbledore, meddling fool that he is, intervened." Lucius sneered. "He claimed that both you and Potter would be better off if you spent part of the summer together. Something about keeping your friendship strong." The expression on his face clearly stated what he thought of_ that_ particular notion.

"And so the resulting agreement was this: so long as Harry Potter remained at Privet Drive, you would remain there with him. As soon as he left the house I would know, and then I could fetch you from the filthy muggles." Lucius finished his explanation before selecting a pastry from the tray.

Narcissa patted her hand. "Had we been told where you were taken after your father's disappearance, we would have fetched you immediately, Serenity. I do want you to know that."

Serenity smiled at her. "Thank you." She said. The adrenaline rush of the night was beginning to wear off and she yawned. She could see Draco doing the same.

'And now, off to bed with you two. I'll have your things fetched in the morning Serenity, and then the two of you will work on your homework. I do expect better grades from both of you this year." A disapproving look lingered on Draco, and the boy hurried to show Serenity upstairs to bed.

Artemis woke her in the morning, perching herself on Serenity's headboard and hooting. Serenity woke and hugged her owl happily. "Artemis, you made it!" The owl held out her leg to Serenity, and she untied the note secured there.

_Serenity,_

_I'm sorry about last night. We were going to go back for you this morning with Mr. Weasley when Malfoy showed up to get your trunk. If the gits try anything funny, let me know. I'll see you at Hogwarts if I don't see you earlier._

_-Harry _

Serenity stuck her tongue out at the letter as Draco knocked and opened the door. He arched an eyebrow at her expression. "Mom says to go see her and she'll loan you a robe until we can get you fitted for some of your own in Diagon Alley."

Serenity stretched and climbed out of the bed, slipping a little on the silk sheets. "Ok."

After breakfast they made their way to Diagon Alley by floo (Draco showed her how, and laughed himself silly when she fell on her face upon arriving at the Leaky Cauldron). Since they didn't have their Hogwarts letters yet they couldn't buy their things yet, but it couldn't be helped. Uncle Lucius said he had business elsewhere and headed to a side alley Serenity had never been in. Aunt Narcissa took her to Madam Malkin's and had her fitted before telling her to choose which robes she would like.

Serenity blushed scarlet. "I haven't any money." She began, but Narcissa held up a hand.

"You're my niece, Serenity, and I'll take care of you. Now go on." She urged. Under Narcissa's guidance Serenity chose robes of blue ("It brings out your eyes."), silver ("It's a good color for you, dear."), green, ("Too bad you're not in Slytherin. It's a good color for you.") and pink ("On you, it's lovely."). They were all made of fine material, and Narcissa looked pleased with their purchases. Serenity carried the wrapped packages as they left the shop.

They located Lucius and Draco in the Leaky Cauldron, talking to a short man in pinstriped suit. Lucius turned when they approached. "Ah, minister, of course you remember my wife, Narcissa, and my son Draco?"Lucius gave the minister an oily smile.

The man fidgeted as he shook Narciss'a hand, then Draco's, and paused before Serenity. "And who might this be?" He asked, taking in her blond pigtails and fine black robe.

Lucius smirked. "My niece, Serenity."

At this the minister seemed to visibly flinch, his face paling. "Y-your niece? That would be, erm, Mrs. Lestrange's girl?"

"Indeed." murmured Lucius as Serenity's gaze jerked to him at the mention of her mother's name. "Well, we must be off. Good day Minister."

They returned to the manor and Lucius saw them begin their summer homework before leaving for work. It was not until dinnertime that Serenity managed to ask her aunt and uncle the question that had been bothering her all day.

"Aunt Narcissa, Uncle Lucius, if my mother was Mrs. Lestrange, why isn't my last name Lestrange?" She asked.

Lucius lowered his goblet, seeming to consider the question before answering. "Your mother's name is Bellatrix Lestrange. You are aware that the Dark Lord is your father, correct?"

Serenity nodded, looking uncomfortable. "Yes. But his name isn't Lestrange, is it?"

"That's right." Lucius answered. "Your father's legal name was Thomas Marvolo Riddle. You were born Serenity Riddle." He raised his wand, and a piece of parchment zoomed into his hands. He laid it out for her to see the Black family tree. He pointed to the bottom, where her entry was written. "You are not, and never were, Serenity Potter. You are Serenity Riddle."

"Serenity Riddle." She murmured, then she remembered the odd postscript on her Christmas letter the year before. "I am a Riddle. That's what you were trying to tell me, Uncle Lucius?"

"Yes. Both you and Professor Snape." He rolled up the parchment and waved his wand once more to send it away.

"Professor Snape looked after you often when you were just a little thing." Narcisssa smiled, then scowled darkly as she recalled what had become of that care. "It was cruel what Dumbledore did to him."

Serenity gasped. "What?"

Lucius sneered "Dumbledore told Severus that you had died the night your father disappeared, but he knew it wasn't so. He placed you with Harry Potter and his relatives himself. Severus didn't become aware of your identity until last year."

Serenity fell silent then, something about this revelation troubled her, though it took her awhile to figure out exactly what.

Two weeks later found a pink nightrobe-clad Serenity chasing Draco down the stairs. "Draco you're dead!"

He was laughing as he skillfully avoided an old vase on a table and ran into the hall. "Well you wouldn't wake up!"

"That was no reason to pour water on me!" She shouted as she made a wider turn to avoid the table and instead crashed into a black-robed person. "Oof!" Strong arms came up to catch her and both went tumbling to the floor, Serenity's fall cushioned by the other.

She found herself staring into a pair of startled black eyes. Her face flushed with embarrassment, she scrambled up. "Sorry professor!" She took off before he had a chance to say anything

Although he'd visited the Malfoys twice before while she was there, she had yet to speak to him for more than a few moments. Narcissa emerged (what corner had she been hiding in?) to assure him that she was probably just confused and shy. It was a lot to take in, after all. "Give her time. If she's still being unreasonable, I'll help." Narcissa gently suggested.

* * *

It was Narcissa's idea. When their Hogwarts letters arrived Lucius arranged for Severus to meet them in Diagon Alley. Narcissa made an excuse not to go, and when they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron Lucius suddenly remembered he had business to attend to, and insisted that Draco come with him.

This left Serenity alone with Professor Snape. She shifted uneasily, staring at the floor.

Snape was unprepared for the situation, and after a few moments of tense silence held out his hand. "Your list, if you would please Ms. Potter?"

"Riddle." She corrected softly.

Snape jerked in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

Finally she lifted her head to look at him. "Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa told me the truth. My name is Serenity Riddle, isn't it? And you knew that, didn't you? Because you used to take care of me, back when I lived with my father, right?"

Snape swallowed thickly, visibly uncomfortable. "I did." He said.

Rather than looking pleased with this, she looked upset. She dropped her list in his hand and made her way towards the entrance to Diagon Alley. Snape followed, tapping his wand against the bricks to open the doorway for her.

"You only need your books, correct?" He did not understand why she was upset, and he responded to it with terse words and clipped tones. He found himself wondering if she'd been meeting the white-haired man all summer. The very thought made him want to hex someone.

"Yes sir." She answered.

Neither spoke as they made their way to Flourish and Blotts. The place was an absolute madhouse, with posters of a very handsome wizard plastered everywhere. Serenity stared at the posters and felt her heart flutter in her chest. The man was. . .cute.

Serenity read the poster and squealed with delight. Snape gave her an odd look as she hurried to collect her Defense Against the Dark Arts books. "The author is having a book signing today!" She almost for got to pay for her books in her eagerness to find the end of the line, but the harried-looking wizard monitoring the crowd reminded her and she blushed brightly as she made her way to the counter, paying with gold Lucius had given her. That finished, she followed the line out the door and a ways down the block. Severus looked mortified.

"We are not standing in this monstrosity of a line." He ground out.

Serenity, however, was determined. "You don't have to wait with me. I'll go by myself."

Snape muttered darkly as he stepped away, unwilling to be subjected to the fangirls excited squeals. He remained nearby, however, keeping a close eye on Serenity. While he waited, he pondered. The child was obviously upset with him, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what she was so angry about. Why did pre-teens have to be so bloody difficult?

The line inched along slowly, but Serenity showed more patience than she ever had in class. Snape took to exploring the less-crowded areas of the store, all the while keeping one eye on Serenity.

After what seemed like an age had passed, Serenity finally stepped up to the table, the proverbial hearts in her eyes. "Mr. Lockheart, would you sign my books please?"

Lockheart gave his beaming smile which made her swoon, pulling the first of her books to him. "Certainly, my dear, and who shall I address it to?"

"To Serenity Riddle, sir." She answered, her star-struck gaze never leaving his face.

"To Serenity Riddle, then." He signed her book with a flourish, and pulled her to him so the photographer could take their picture. The camerawitch handed over the magical version of a polaroid, and Lockhart signed that too. "Here you are my dear, now you can see my smile whenever you like." He winked at her. "But I daresay we'll be seeing each other again soon, eh?" He handed the picture over, his fingers lingering a few seconds longer than absolutely necessary.

Snape, of course, had witnessed the entire exchange. His glare was murderous as he stalked over, pushing past the clerk. He gathered her books and all but snatched her hand from Lockhart's grasp. "Come, Serenity."

He managed to steer her out of the store and away before she yanked her arm from his grip and stomped her foot childishly. "Professor! What did you have to go and do that for! I was having fun!"

Snape scowled darkly as he placed a hand on her shoulder to direct her back to the Leaky Cauldron. "Oh yes, and I think he was enjoying that a bit too much."

Serenity pouted the entire way back and did not speak to him again except for a short good bye when the Malfoys came to fetch her. Narcissa's plan had backfired rather spectacularly.

* * *

Yay, a much longer chapter than usual and a quick update. Always good things, hmm? Well, that's spring break for you. So Serenity's being difficult (anyone guess why?) and Diamond's gone missing. I know why (well I'm the author, so I would be worried if I didn't) but I want to hear what you guys think. Please be kind and review.

A thank you to the Chapter Ten reviewers Alycee Lanet, Lily Marie Wolfe, and Sakura Lisel


	12. Riddle Me, Riddle Me, Ree

Chapter Twelve

Lucius looked over Draco's Transfiguration essay with a frown. "Do it again." He ordered.

Draco's mouth fell open. "But, father, I spent all afternoon on that!" He protested loudly.

Lucius' cane hit the floor with a THWACK. "I don't care, Draco. You will do it again, correctly this time. I will not have you beaten again by a mudblood this year, understood?" With only one more week to go before their return to Hogwarts, Draco and Serenity were both working furiously to finish their summer work. Lucius' standards were exacting, and they could easily redo an assignment three times before he was satisfied.

Draco sighed. "Yes father."

Serenity blinked. "What's a mudblood?" She asked.

Draco sneered and opened his mouth to answer when his father cut him off. "Nothing you need to worry about, Serenity. Draco, come with me for a moment." Lucius led his son from the study. When he was sure they were out of earshot he turned Draco to face him. "Listen to me Draco, and listen well. Serenity is not yet ready for the Dark Lord's ideals. She has spent far too much time around the Gryffindors. Say nothing of it to her, and let me handle it. Do you understand?"

Judging by the look on Draco's face he did not, but he nodded anyway. "Yes father, I understand. Now, about those Nimbus 2001s for the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

"Later Draco. Go work on your essay." Lucius shooed Draco back to the study, breathing a sigh of relief. Serenity's conversion would have to be slow, especially given her Hogwarts House.

* * *

Serenity did not see Harry when she reached platform 9 ¾. She thought this odd, but figured he must simply be late and put her things on the train in a compartment with Draco. They left the train to say goodbye to his parents. She received a hug from Aunt Narcissa and a pat on the head from Uncle Lucius to send her off.

Before boarding the train she looked around for Prince Diamond, but this year he wasn't there. Disappointed, she let Draco help her back onto the train and took her seat.

She didn't see Harry or Ron at the Welcoming Feast either, but rumors soon spread about their arrival at school. By the time they were dismissed, Serenity had heard everything from flying to school on broomsticks to flying cars to flying carpets to centaurs to flying motorbikes.

"Flying motorbikes? That's silly." She scoffed.

"It was the car." Fred laughed (or George?)

"Our dad has one, didn't you see it back in July? Brilliant idea, taking it to school." Chimed in the other, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Wish we thought of that!" Added the other, reaching out to grab a red-haired girl and pull her over. "Serenity, this is our little sister Ginny. She's a first year. Ginny, this is Serenity. She's in Ron's year."

Serenity smiled warmly. "Hi Ginny. What do you think of Hogwarts so far?"

Ginny smiled a bit nervously. "I think it's wonderful!" Soon, the two girls were caught up in an animated conversation, and the twins wandered off to bother their older brother Prefect Percy.

Harry and Ron's arrival in the common room that night confirmed it. They had indeed come to school via flying car. Serenity shook her head at Harry. "See what kind of trouble you get into without me?" She laughed, although it was a bit uneasy. The revelations concerning her mother and Professor Snape were unsettling, and she didn't quite know how to react to them.

Back at the beginning of summer, when the two of them knelt to weed the flower beds once again, they promised that they would no longer keep secrets from each other. Secrets had only lead to trouble the previous year, and they had no wish to repeat the experience.

"I don't care who your father is Serenity. It doesn't change who you are." For a long time each had been the only friend the other had (Harry said Prince Pillock didn't count., though Serenity disagreed), and they agreed that a thing they could not control-their parentage-would not be allowed to destroy the trust they had always had in each other.

But this was something that Serenity felt she could not share quite yet. She did not know how to tell Harry that her mother was alive in wizard prison, or that the despised Potions Master had once been her babysitter. She had been in the Hospital Wing with Harry when Professor Dumbledore revealed that professor Snape had spent their first year trying to protect Harry from Quirrell. Obviously, Dumbledore believed that Snape was a good man. And yet. . .a good man would not voluntarily care for a Dark Lord's child, would he?

Serenity realized her mind had wandered only when Percy called for quiet and sent the students off to bed. "Go on now, classes in the morning! Hop to!"

* * *

The next morning, Serenity arrived late for breakfast. Ron was red-faced, and most of the Hall was giggling. "What'd I miss?" She asked.

"Howler." Squeaked Neville. "Ron's mum."

Harry quickly explained. "A letter that yells at you. Very, very loudly." He shuddered at the memory, and Serenity was suddenly glad she'd missed it.

"Here, eat up." Hermione pushed a plate towards her. "We have class in a few minutes."

Herbology proved to be far more interesting this year despite Professor's Sprout's sour mood (Harry and Ron suspected that the tag-along braggart Lockhart had something to do with it), and they were even allowed to handle dangerous plants - the mandrakes. The students wrestled with the ghastly things, none of which seemed to enjoy being transplanted.

Serenity had the brilliant idea of cuddling it like a baby (well it DID look like one!), but hers bit her for her efforts and she yelped, dropping it. After class Professor Sprout scolded her for scaring the poor thing and docked five points from Gryffindor.

She fared little better in Transfiguration, but Harry wasn't having any more luck than she was, and at least their wands weren't smoking and sparking at random moments, like Ron's. "Bloody tree!" Ron complained as they left the classroom. "Thanks to that thing my wand is practically useless!"

Serenity decided on a quick nap after lunch against Harry's advice. "You'll be late," he warned.

She waved of his concern. "I'll be fine."

Sure enough, she darted into Defense Against the Dark Arts a quarter of an hour late. Everyone looked up from their so-called "tests" to stare at her. This had happened before, but it never ceased to amuse her classmates.

"Ms. . ." Lockhart checked his roll, "Riddle is it? Well, sit on down then and start your test. It's the first day so I'll be lenient." He flashed her one of his winning smiles, causing the female population to swoon.

She took a seat next to Harry. "He's so handsome." Hermione whispered from her other side. Serenity nodded in agreement. Harry started. Even though she'd owled him about her decision to change her name, it still sounded strange to him.

Lockhart collected the tests. "My my. Some of you seem to have forgotten that my favorite color is lilac. Boys, you need to do better. The girls are outscoring all of you. And what's this?" He held up one of the tests. "Ms. Granger? Where are you?"

Hermione shyly raised her hand and Lockhart smiled at her. "A perfect score Ms. Granger! My, you're a smart witch as well as a pretty one." He winked and Hermione blushed brightly. Ron muttered something under his breath that apparently only Hermione heard, as she kicked him under the table rather hard.

Lockhart then pulled out a cage of Cornish Pixies. . . and the class fell to chaos.

Potions was. . .well, Serenity thought that "awkward" might be putting it mildly. Once again they had it with the Slytherins, and Draco always made it a point to sit next to her, much to Harry's displeasure. The boy's feud was the least of her troubles. Instead, her focus remained on the Potions Master. Now that she was aware of it, she noticed that his eyes tended to linger on her. He was less likely to breathe down her neck while she worked, and he even awarded Gryffindor points when she correctly answered one of his questions.

Several times he tried to speak to her outside of class, and each time she evaded him. One such meeting happened the first weekend back. She was woken by Hermione who planned to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice. As was her wont, she fell back to sleep, only to wake sometime later and panic, hurrying to get outside.

She spotted him ahead of her in the hall, and purposely ran past him. He turned to call to her, but she acted like she hadn't heard. It was childish, she knew, but he just weirded her out too much to deal with.

She could hear yelling as she approached the pitch, and she reached the field just as Ron's wand gave a loud BANG, and a light hit him in the stomach. He fell and Serenity hurried over. "Ron! Harry, what happened?"

She had to pass the Slytherin team to reach the Gryffindors, and Malfoy's hand shot out to stop her. "Don't worry about that oaf Serenity. Stay and watch us practice."

She turned, and her eyes raked over the team's new brooms. She'd heard him mention it, but she hadn't taken him seriously. She was not impressed with him. By then, Harry and Hermione had gotten Ron-who was belching slugs-to his feet, and were guiding him from the field. Harry turned.

"Serenity?" He called questioningly.

Draco attempted to keep her. "Sod off Potter! Stay, Serenity." He urged.

Serenity shook her head, freed her hand from his grasp, and took off after Harry to help.

When she thought back on it later, she decided that the incident was probably what started it. By Monday, Harry and Draco were caught up in a war of "she likes me better!" It would have been endearing, if weren't downright annoying. When she walked into the Great Hall for meals with Harry, Draco would try to get her to come with him. When she had a study session with Draco, Harry tried to convince her to study in the common room instead.

Somehow, Serenity had the feeling that this idiocy was an extension of their own pre-existing rivalry. That, or it was their way of dealing with the "cousin-switching," as she dubbed it. It drove her absolutely nutty.

By Halloween she'd gotten so fed up with them that she decided to stay in her room and sleep during the feast rather than put up with the inevitable fight over whether she was going to the feast with Draco or the Deathday Party for Nearly Headless Nick with Harry.

It was not until the other girls returned that evening that Serenity learned what had happened near the second floor girl's bathroom.

"The Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherin? Sounds made up." She scoffed, her eyes still closed..

Hermione shook her head. "You didn't see it, Serenity. Mrs. Norris was petrified! Turned to stone!" Rather than being terrified like the other girls, Serenity just rolled over and went back to sleep, completely missing the horrified expressions of her roommates. She hadn't really been awake in the first place.

Rumors were flying about the very next day. Most people seemed to think that Harry was the Heir for some idiotic reason (with the exception of Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who were inclined to believe it was Serenity). Harry and Ron were convinced it was Draco. Many of the Slytherins didn't much care who it was, as long as the threat was followed through.

"That's barmy." Serenity shook her head. "He's not like that!"

Ron scowled. "You're related to him and actually like the prat. Your opinion doesn't count. He's the Heir." That earned him a smack on the back of the head from her.

"You're being childish!" She snapped at him before stalking off to sit with Draco.

Ron stared after her. "If we're going to investigate this," he said finally, "we'd better leave her out." Harry didn't like it, but he agreed.

Whenever Harry and Draco's warring became too much, or her roommate's suspicious looks became too irritating, Serenity would find herself with Ginny Weasley. The day of the Gryffindor verses Slytherin Quidditch match was one such day. She sat in the Gryffindor bleachers despite Draco's invitation to watch him from the Slytherin stands.

She huffed as she took her seat beside Ginny. "Boys are obnoxious!" She announced, much to the first year's amusement.

"Oh I don't know." Said Ginny, her eyes wandering the field. "They're not all bad." The teams entered the field and everyone cheered wildly. Serenity grinned as she noticed that Ginny's eyes never left Harry.

"Someone's got a crush!" She teased, watching Ginny turn as red as her hair. Her amusement was short-lived however, as a rogue Bludger targeted Harry and refused to leave him alone.

"Harry!" She and she Ginny screamed when the Bludger struck him, bending his arm in an unnatural way. They bolted for the field, arriving just in time to see Lockhart cast a spell. . .and Harry's arm deflate.

"What in the name of?. . " Serenity couldn't help it. She poked it. "Ewww!" She squealed, jumping back. "Gross!"

Ron too looked slightly green, but he and Hermione helped Harry up and guided him to the Hospital Wing. Serenity stayed behind to comfort Ginny, who was nearly in tears.

That night there was another attack. Colin Creevey was petrified.

* * *

Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, entered the gates of Hogwarts with a small entourage following him. He needed those who hated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as much as he did, and those who would do anything to rid the wizarding world of whatever traces of him remained. Therefore, he had selected his ever-faithful employees Dolores Umbridge, Barty Crouch, John Dawlish, and Pius Thicknesse to assist him. Under normal circumstances, Lucius Malfoy would have also followed him.

Dumbledore greeted the Ministry officials warmly. "Good day Cornelius, would you like some tea?"

As always, Dumbledore made him nervous, and the Minister fidgeted before answering. "Yes, actually Albus. Tea would be excellent."

Dumbledore tapped his desk and a tea tray appeared. Fudge's people took their cups and found seats in the circular office. Once everyone was settled and pleasantries exchanged Dumbledore spoke again. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Cornelius?"

It was Umbridge who answered first, giving a little cough to ensure she had the Headmaster's attention. "Hem hem. Well, Headmaster, a certain student of yours has caught the Ministry's attention." She began in her annoyingly high-pitched voice.

Dumbledore eyed her thoughtfully. "Is that so?" He asked.

Thicknesse picked up the explanation. "We are aware that a student has been attacked here on Hogwarts' grounds. We believe that it would be prudent to take precautionary measures to ensure that such an unfortunate event is not repeated."

Dumbledore nodded. "A wise notion. And what, may I ask, is your plan?"

Crouch answered, his words forceful. "To remove the lingering influence of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named from Hogwarts. With that accomplished, we feel the attacks will stop at once."

Dumbledore's eyes darkened. "And how do you propose to do this?"

Fudge shifted. "Perhaps you should call a staff meeting, Albus? I would like to only have to explain this once."

Ten minutes later the Ministry representatives and Hogwarts staff were gathered in the staff room. The professors, unaware of the nature of the meeting, looked on curiously as Fudge stood before them. The man cleared his throat, shifted, took a breath, and finally explained. "The Ministry of Magic is aware of the plight here at Hogwarts, and we intend to put a stop to it. Therefore, we have decided to immediately remove the most likely suspect from the school. The suspect will be safely imprisoned in Azkaban for holding until such a time as guilt can be determined. If innocent the suspect will return. If not, the Kiss will be given."

There was stunned silence for several moments, until a grave Dumbledore finally voiced what they all wondered. "And who is this suspect you speak of, Cornelius?"

Fudge drew himself up importantly. "The spawn of You-Know-Who, one Serenity Riddle."

"NO!"

* * *

Apparently, Orgo exams keep me from wanting to sleep the following night. It's going to stink for me in the morning, but it's great news for you guys!

Thank you to my reviewers for Chapter Eleven Sakura Lisel (Good questions! Hopefully I answered them for you.), Anexia, Rayne-Mitchelle, Lily Marie Wolfe, and Rakusa (Are the character interactions more to your liking this chapter? ).


	13. Azkaban

Quick A/N: In case it's not clear, the assumption is that since Diamond's been dimension-hopping, that timeline is running normally.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Diamond stormed into the main throne room of his castle on Nemesis, clearly displeased. "Wiseman! Why have you seen fit to summon me like an underling?" He demanded.

Wiseman bowed his head to appease the prince. "The rulers of Crystal Tokyo have rejected your demands again, my prince, as I told you they would. They leave you with no choice." His glowing eyes stared hard at Diamond from beneath his cape.

Until this time, the Black Moon family had attempted to reason with the people of Earth. They sent ambassadors to the palace to speak with the King and Neo-Queen. They sent people to speak with the princess, who was younger and thus more likely to trust them. Prince Diamond even had his pet project, the befriending of the Queen's child self. Wiseman had always warned them that their efforts were in vain, that the only way to win was to destroy the current Earth-dwellers, but Diamond wanted the beauty of Earth preserved. The people of Earth, however, seemed determined to make that an impossibility.

Diamond sat on his throne, a thoughtful look on his face. "Yes. Prepare to attack."

The battle raged, and the Prince looked on from high above, watching the destruction below. The Queen ran from the palace calling for her child, and Diamond drank in the sight of her lovely form. Before, he'd always seen her in the formal meeting room of the palace, where she had gazed at him kindly, but without the recognition and warmth he expected once his project began. Now, however, she glared at him with as much hatred as she was capable of, staring at him as if he were a monster. . . as if he were not quite human. Diamond's breath caught, frozen by the force of her hatred.

And then it happened. There was a blast the prince did not order, and did not expect. Instinctively he dove, trying to protect the woman he so loved. But the scouts reacted first, and thinking he meant the Queen harm, they tried to protect her. The combination of powers in the air glowed brightly, creating a crystal shield around the Queen. The force of the blast knocked Prince Diamond away, and he saw no more of the Queen. But still, the palace refused to fall.

Those eyes continued to haunt him. He loved them, and he loathed them. He wanted nothing more than to see them again, and yet. . .He dreaded ever seeing that expression on his princess' face.

His hand wandered to his pocket, fingering the small black crystal there. Besides, if she truly needed him, he would know.

* * *

Snape stood, his wand drawn and pointed at the Minister. His eyes were murderous, dark pools of potent rage. "No." He hissed again.

The Minister looked shaken, and attempted to draw himself up to his full height. "Now see here Professor Snape, that girl is the spawn of the Dark Lord. For that reason alone she should have been locked away years ago."

"And she would have been." Dawlish interrupted, "were she not hidden from the Ministry."

Fudge nodded. "Exactly. We wanted her taken care of when the other Death Eaters were captured. Now look what has happened! These things did not occur at Hogwarts before she arrived. She must be stopped."

"You will not shut a twelve-year-old girl up in Azkaban!" Snape spat. "She is a child! She had nothing to do with the atrocities her parents committed, and she has nothing to do with what has been happening here!"

"If I may, Minister." Dumbledore stepped in, gently placing a hand on Snape's wand arm to lower it. "The Ministry wants young Ms. Riddle under surveillance so that she cannot perform any Dark Magic, correct?"

Fudge cast a nervous glance at Snape, but nodded. "Yes, Albus. That is our goal. We feel that Azkaban would be best." He shifted.

"We would, of course, place her with her mother." Drawling stated casually. "I'm sure Mrs. Lestrange misses her bastard."

Snape lunged at him. Dawlish was unprepared for a physical attack, and went down under the younger man's weight. "Don't you DARE call her that you bloody prick!"

Fudge yelped and jumped out of the way. Umbridge squealed in horror and stumbled back. Only Thicknesse kept his head and drew his wand, but Flitwick placed a body bind on him before he had a chance to cast a spell.

"Enough!" Dumbledore barked out. Snape snarled, but shoved Dawlish back, climbing off of him and brushing off his robes. Dawlish nursed a bloody nose. Flitwick released Thicknesse, and Fudge attempted to gain control of the situation.

"Now, now, gentlemen and ladies, let's be civil about this, shall we?" He started nervously, emerging from his hiding place behind the couch. "Just let us have the girl and we'll leave. The last thing we want is for any escaped Death Eaters to use her as a rallying point-"

"That's absurd!" McGonagall interrupted, but Fudge held up his hand.

"The Ministry believes that the attack on the muggleborn wizard was exactly that. We have enough evidence-"

"Evidence?! What evidence?" Flitwick's squeaky voice squawked, but Fudge continued speaking over him.

"-to keep the girl in Azkaban until we are certain she does not pose a threat." Fudge squirmed as he finished, his eyes on Dumbledore. The Headmaster looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps we should bring young Ms. Riddle in." Said Dumbledore after a moment. "Severus, do you have Veritaserum on hand?"

"I am not giving her Truth Potion!" Snape objected hotly. Dumbledore's eyes fixed on him and Snape's face twisted, his robes billowing behind him as he stalked off to fetch the requested potion.

"Minerva, if you would please, my dear?" Dumbledore smiled amiably and Professor McGonagall sighed.

"Yes Albus, I'll fetch her." She left, and Dumbledore looked around at the assembled group.

"Now, Minister, I believe the appropriate course of action would be to question her here. I'm certain that the interrogation will prove she means nobody harm, and we will be able to come to an agreement concerning her."

Serenity was comforting Ginny in the common room when McGonagall found her. "Ms. Potter, pardon, Ms. Riddle, come with me if you will."

Serenity squeezed Ginny once more before following her professor out. "Am I in trouble for something, Professor?" She asked.

"We'll see." The Trasfigurations professor led her student back to the staff room.

Serenity looked around nervously, not recognizing any of the new faces. Snape swept into the room with a small bottle in hand and Fudge motioned to one of the chairs which had been moved into the middle of the room. "Sit, please."

Serenity did so, her eyes wide with fear. What was going on? The irate expression on Snape's face did nothing to ease her nerves as he bent near her.

"I'm sorry Ms. Riddle." He murmured quietly. "Open your mouth, please."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What for? What are you-" Snape took advantage of her question to quickly but carefully pour three drops into her mouth.

Dawlish waited until her eyes had the normal glassy appearance of one under Veritaserum before beginning. "State your name."

"Serenity Riddle." She said flatly.

"Your full name." Dawlish snapped.

She blinked slowly. "I don't know if I have a middle name. No one's told me." Snape, who was standing behind her, had to resist the urge to winced. He knew what her middle name was, and he was glad that she did not. She would have been chucked to the Dementors the moment the Ministry heard it.

"How old are you?"

"Twelve." She replied

"Have you ever performed any Dark Magic, Serenity?"

At any other time she might have thrown something at him for asking, but as it was the potion prevented her from displaying her irritation. "No."

Dawlish grunted. Despite the Veritaserum, it didn't appear that he fully believed her. "Do you know anything about the attacks at Hogwarts."

"Yes." Her tone did not change, nor did she flinch when Fudge let out a loud "ha!" and Thicknesse moved towards her.

Snape paled and blurted. "Tell us what you know!"

Tone unwavering, she answered "Mrs. Norris was petrified on Halloween. Collin Creevey was petrified a few days ago. Nobody knows who is doing it."

Thicknesse stopped, seeming to have realized that Dawlish's question had been too vague. "Did you have anything to do with it?" He asked.

"No."

Dumbledore clapped his hands. "I think that settles it. This student is innocent, so you can all head back to your busy departments and let her get on with her schoolwork, hm?"

Umbridge cleared her throat. "Not quite Professor. We told you that we want the girl watched at all times. We can't have her going to the dark side, now can we?" She simpered in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Lockhart, silent until now, butted in. "I remember visiting one village that was often attacked by a werewolf. They put spells on their children to keep them from wandering off and being eaten. I'm quite proficient at them. Perhaps I could-"

"You are not pointing your wand in her direction." Snapped Snape.

Fudge, however, looked thoughtful. "If there were a spell to ensure she was always under someone's watch, I would acquiesce to that. I only want to keep Britain safe, Albus."

"Of course Minister." Said Dumbledore.

"There was a spell used in my old days that allowed Aurors to monitor witnesses called_ Protectori_. I don't believe it has been cast in some time, but I feel it would be appropriate now." Thicknesse paused, glancing around at the assembled teachers and still-silent girl. "She will have to be with one of you at all times. This spell is strongest when there is one primary guard, so. . ."

Lockhart smiled his brilliant smile. "I have experience in these matters, so surely I could-"

Snape rudely cut him off. "You have no more experience with her than you do with a telephone."

Lockhart looked confused, though his smile never wavered. "A what?"

"Exactly." Snape turned back to Thicknesse. "I will be her primary guard." His voice left no room for argument, and nobody challenged him.

Flitwick's eyes widened. Obviously, he recognized the spell. He moved to protest, but a motion from Dumbledore stopped him. The Charms professor peered at the Headmaster curiously, but kept silent.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. Eleven years ago he had hurt Severus horribly by keeping the girl from him, although at the time it seemed necessary. With her identity long exposed, keeping them apart was no longer a priority. Eleven years ago he'd made a terrible mistake, and he would not repeat it now. He knew fully well which spell was about to be cast, and implications of it.

Thicknesse directed Snape to take her hand before he began the casting. Umbridge looked scandalized, but Fudge shook his head to keep her from intervening.

When he'd finished, he nodded in satisfaction, looking about at the assembled professors. "Ms. Riddle can never be completely out of your sight. As long as one of you is watching her, she will be free to move about in your vicinity, but she will not be able to leave your line of sight without setting off an alarm to alert her primary guard."

He turned his attention to Snape. "She will be able to leave your line of sight, but no more than five feet away. It's one of the spell's defenses."

His explanation was met first with silence, then an explosion. "Minister! How could you allow him to cast such a spell?!" Shrieked Umbridge as she realized the full weight of it. "It's entirely inappropriate!" Fudge hurried to calm her.

Professor McGonagall expressed similar concerns. "It is really wise, Albus? What will the other students think?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Ms. Riddle could not find a better guard in this castle Minerva, I can assure you. Professor Snape will keep a close eye on her, so rest assured."

Placated for the time being, the Ministry employees agreed to leave Serenity behind. Dumbledore left to escort them out. The other professors looked at each other nervously. Snape knelt by Serenity, administering the antidote to the Veritaserum.

"Severus," Began Flitwick nervously, "Are you aware of how the spell works?"

"I am aware of what was explained to me." Snape answered evenly as he watched Serenity's eyes closely. The glassiness began to clear as Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"As I am sure you have all already begun to notice, the _Protectori_ spell draws our attention to Ms. Riddle whether we are aware of it or not. Losing sight of her will not be pleasant for any of us, and Professor Snape will immediately be alerted. But there will be more for you Severus. Only you will find yourself without the compulsion to watch her while still guarding her. Because of this, she will have to remain within proximity to you during the times she cannot be watched." Flitwitck's gaze traveled to the suddenly pale twelve-year old. "For instance, even while you sleep, the five-foot radius will hold."

"I gathered that." Snape responded tersely.

Serenity, though, apparently had not. "What?!" She yelped, jumped from the chair and away from him. "You mean I'm stuck with him?!" She didn't quite believe them, especially since she had no trouble backing from him now.

"Don't be rude Ms. Riddle." McGonagall said with a frown, "but until this mess is sorted out at the ministry, yes you are."

"No way! Nu-uh! NO!" Serenity tried to bolt from the room. No sooner did she cross the threshold than she was forcefully thrown back. Snape hurried to catch her before she hit the wardrobe, holding her against his chest. She looked absolutely petrified.

Flitwick patted her arm consolingly. "I'm sorry Ms. Riddle. That is what happens when you try to go too far from your primary guard and out of sight of your secondaries. It was originally designed as a safeguard against abduction, as Mr. Thicknesse explained."

Serenity extracted herself from Snape's grasp, shaking. He reluctantly let her go, but only after assuring himself that she would not fall over. "Will that happen every time I leave a room?"

Flitwick looked thoughtful. "It is possible to leave the care of your secondaries, but it is not recommended. _ Protectori _will alert your primary, and if you are not quickly located, the Ministry as well."

Snape's eyes snapped to Flitwick. "Thichnesse did not mention that."

Flitwick sighed. "He did not mention a lot of things about this spell. I expect that he wants the Ministry alarm to activate, so that he has an excuse to send her to Azkaban."

Serenity gasped, but the Headmaster returned before she had a chance to ask any more questions. "Is everything settled then? Very good. Ms. Riddle, your things have already been moved to Professor Snape's quarters, and I believe we all have classes to return to."

The teachers began to disperse, Snape taking Serenity's arm to guide her. For a few minutes, she was too stunned to protest. Then, "Your quarters?" Her voice sounded a bit more high-pitched than usual.

Snape sighed. "You heard what Professor Flitwick said. Only I will be capable of sleeping near you, and only if you remain no more than five feet from me."

She stopped walking and jerked away from him. "What did I do to deserve this?!" She cried.

Snape massaged his temples. "You did nothing, and that is the point. Now come, I have one more fourth year class before dinner." He started walking again, and recalling the violent jerk when she moved too far from him last time, she followed. He led her to his dungeon classroom.

She gulped. "Can't I stay with another teacher?"

Snape hesitated for a moment. "They can't watch you every second and their students as well. This is Gryffindor and Slytherin. You should be fine." The door flew open for him and he entered in his usual dramatic bat-like manner, but the effect was ruined by the tiny blond second year trailing him. The fourth years looked on curiously.

"Serenity, did you walk into the wrong wrong class?" Called Fred.

"I knew you were good at Potions, but I didn't know you were that good!" Echoed George jokingly. Serenity blushed.

"Ten points from Gryffindor. No talking. Begin your potions." Snapped Snape as he charmed chalk to write instructions on the board. Serenity stood behind him uncertainly. To hide her embarrassment, she turned to the board to read the fourth year potion instructions. It looked difficult, but interesting. She remembered reading about some of the ingredients in _Perfect Potions_.

She was so preoccupied that she did not notice when Snape began to move away from her, and she let out a yelp when he traveled too far and the spell jerked her harshly. Snape whipped about and caught her deftly, setting her upright. "Try to pay attention please, Mr. Riddle."

The students stared, shocked by the display. Fred quickly scribbled something on a piece of parchment, and when Serenity passed him (tugged along by the spell as Snape moved down the aisles) he handed it to her.

_What's going on?_

She snagged George's quill and used a Slytherin's desk to respond.

_The ministry. Some sort of spell. Snape has to watch me._

Fred and George stared at the note and then each other, brows furrowed. They watched as Snape rounded a row and Serenity, now too far away, nearly tripped over a desk to get to him. He caught her again, and after that he took her arm and guided her with him. He was careful to keep her away from any potentially noxious potions, but allowed her to examine those he thought were exceptionally good. He wasn't paying quite as much attention to the twins as he usually would, and they shared identical wicked grins.

One of the Slytherins suddenly squawked and ducked. "Heads up!' He yelled. His potion was bubbling and foaming dangerously, and those around him barely had time to duck before it exploded. Snape whipped out his wand to contain it, but a good majority of the Slytherin side of the room was hit regardless. They shrieked and danced about, wiping at the froth frantically.

Serenity had to muffle her laughter when she saw what was happening to the affected students. Those who had been hit began to turn gold while their hair changed to a shade of red brighter than the Weasley's hair. The Gryffindors laughed uproariously.

Fred threw an arm around her, using her to keep himself upright as he threatened to fall over like George, who was rolling on the floor. "Snape's distracted today. It was just too good to pass up!"

Snape turned to glare at the Weasley boys, fully prepared to unleash his full wrath. But Serenity was laughing, and smiling. He watched her for a moment, drinking in the sight before forcing himself to focus. "Detention Weasleys, and twenty points from Gryffindor!" He barked out before returning to his attempt to control the chaos.

With half the class slinking off to the infirmary while trying to hide their faces in embarrassment, and the other half laughing so hard they weren't paying attention anyway no matter what he threatened, Snape was finally forced to dismiss the class.

* * *

Come on, admit it, how many of you did I trick? Haha I know I can be evil. Sorry.

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Twelve: Rakusa, Sakura Lisel, Lily Marie Wolfe, and Rainbow Ichi.


	14. The Drawing

Sorry everyone. I was sick last week, and it put me really behind with everything!

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

By the time they made it up to dinner the entire school seemed to know what had happened. Serenity, able to leave Snape's side now that she was well within sight of the other professors, was nearly mobbed by her friends the moment she sat down.

Ginny threw her arms around her, mumbling how sorry she was. Serenity hugged her close, turning to listen as Harry fumed.

"Snape? Snape, of all people, why Snape?"

"Professor Snape volunteered, Harry." Serenity explained for the fourth time. Hermione was gone already. She'd run to the library the moment she heard the spell's name.

Draco, having just heard the story from one of the affected Slytherins, pushed past Harry and took Serenity's hand in his. "I'll owl my father about this. He'll put a stop to it, don't worry Serenity."

Harry scowled, angling himself to break Malfoy's grip on her hand. "Hermione will find something." He assured her.

What the boys did not notice was that with every movement, they kept blocking her from different professors. The quick moments of involuntarily losing sight of her began to wear on them, and after seeing Professor Sprout wince for the third time Snape stood, sweeping down the aisle. He reached out and roughly pulled Harry back from her.

"In case you haven't heard, Mr. Potter, the professors need a clear view of Ms. Riddle for this spell to work properly. Sit down and stay still or I will remove her to the Head Table." He bit out. "Mr. Malfoy, back to your own table." He released Harry, who reluctantly sank onto the bench beside Serenity.

With one final, hard glare at them all he swept from the Gryffindors and back to the Head Table. He noted that Serenity seemed to be taking the entire situation rather well.

* * *

Or not.

Why hadn't he thought of_ that_ particular problem sooner? He wanted the girl to trust him, and far he'd blown it. Again!

Each professor's private quarters were quite spacious, and the bathroom was no exception. In other words, the size of the bathroom exceeded five feet...something Snape planned to ask the House Elves to fix as soon as possible. If anyone knew how, they would.

As it was, Serenity wouldn't so much as look at him now. She was not at all pleased with the current arrangement, not that he blamed her. During her bath, he'd had no choice but to sit in a chair near the tub and wait for her. He thought he could handle it. He'd bathed her as an infant before, how hard could it be to sit and wait? But twelve-year-olds were much, much different than babies, and didn't appreciate being babysat during bath time.

She'd settled into bed directly after her bath and promptly fell asleep without a word to him. Snape gave a sigh as his eyes were drawn from his grading back to her for the fifth time in as many minutes. Giving up, he set the essays aside. On his way to his own bed (positioned no more than five feet from her own) he paused near hers, the curtains drawn mostly shut. He raised a hand as though to open them further, and let it fall.

A week passed, and still their relationship did not improve.

Impatiently, Snape knocked on the door to the new bathroom. "Are you ready yet? Serenity Riddle! Hurry up, or we'll be late!"

The door opened and Serenity stepped out. "Do I have to come?" She whined.

He sighed. "We've been through this. Nobody else can watch you right now. Now come."

She followed, sulking the entire way up the stairs. When they reached the Great Hall she let out a yell of excitement, running past him and into the crowd, nearly barreling Harry over when she located and hugged him.

Harry returned her hug. "So the dungeon bat brought you along?"

"Yeah, he did. I'm glad though, because I get to hang out with you for a while. Hermione!" She treated her friend to a similar hug. "I miss being around girls. Boys aren't any fun to talk to."

"Hey!" Harry protested. "You were fine having only me to talk to for ten years!"

Serenity stuck her tongue out. "I had Diamond too, not just you." Harry rolled his eyes, but the Dueling Club's demonstration started and he quieted.

After Lockhart's complete trouncing by Snape, they separated into pairs. Serenity found herself facing an older Ravenclaw. Lockhart started them, and the Ravenclaw fired, sending Serenity backwards. She tumbled out of Snape's range and _protectori _kicked in, jerking her violently back towards the platform and Snape. He caught her deftly, checking her for injuries before floating her back to the floor as Lockhart shouted for control of the room. Serenity was only thankful that nobody had noticed amidst the chaos.

He could not say what made him do it, except perhaps to embarrass Potter, but Snape called Malfoy and Harry up to demonstrate the Expelliarmus jinx. Very bad idea. When Harry yelled at the snake slithering towards Justin Finch-Fletchley, it turned on Serenity instead. Serenity, who had always been afraid of slithery or slimey things, screamed and ducked as it lunged at her.

Snape reacted more quickly than many of the students believed possible for him. He destroyed the snake and swept from the platform, hurrying Serenity from the hall.

Snape held her close as he whisked her from the room and down the stairs to the dungeons. He ushered the shaking and crying girl through the portrait into his quarters. He kept her by his side as he entered his private potions stores, where he retrieved a small purple bottle before settling her in an armchair by the fire. He uncorked the bottle and poured the contents into a goblet, handing it to her.

"Here, it's a mild Calming Draught. Drink it and you'll feel better."

She sniffled as she took a tentative sip. It tasted vaguely like mint and lavender, and as promised she began to relax. Snape summoned a damp cloth from the bathroom and gently wiped her face with it, cleaning away her tears. "There now Serenity, you're alright. You're alright. It didn't get you."

Soon she calmed, and taking a slow breath, she asked, "why did you do that? I hate snakes." She sniffled a little.

"I'm sorry." Said Snape softly. "I never meant for it to go anywhere near you, and I'm certain Draco didn't either."

Had it not been for the potion, she might have gotten angry with him once her fear faded. But the potion left her calm and sleepy, and she could only nod passively as she settled back in the chair. Snape lifted her easily, carrying her to her bed and tucking her gently under the covers.

* * *

"I'm bored."

"Do your homework."

"It's finished. I want to visit Harry."

Snape twitched. "I told you already, you'll see him at dinner."

Serenity groaned and flopped back on the rug, staring up at him seated at his desk.

"Why don't you read something?" He suggested.

She pulled a face. "Reading is boring."

Snape set down his quill. "Come with me." He instructed. She dragged herself to her feet as he moved towards the door. He led her to the library. They passed a table of whispering Hufflepuffs, several Ravenclaws, and even the occasional Slytherin or Gryffindor. They passed the stacks she normally had to use for class, heading to the very back of the library. The books here were old, probably almost as old as Madam Pince.

"There is a book here I've been meaning to show you. I suppose that now is as good a time as any." He said softly. Reaching up to a high shelf, he removed a book titled _Legends of Peoples Past: An O__bjective View_. "This book.."

"Serenity!" Ginny rounded a nearby stack, throwing her arms around her friend and sobbing hard. "Serenity, it's terrible! The Heir got Justin!"

"Justin?" Serenity asked, "Finch-Fletchley?"

"Yes. And, and now.." Ginny sniffled. "Everyone thinks that Harry did it! They think he's the Heir of Slytherin!"

Serenity looked confused. "Why?..."

"Because he's a Parselmouth!" She wailed.

"That is enough!" Snape took Serenity's arm and led her from the library, pausing only long enough to check out the book.

She stumbled after him, unable to do much else. "I'll see you at dinner!" She called to her friend.

Snape said nothing more until they reached the dungeons, then abruptly he turned to her. "Can you speak it as well?" He asked quickly.

She stared blankly. "What?"

"Can you speak parceltongue, can you talk to snakes?" He asked impatiently.

"I...I...no. I can't. Why?" She stammered out.

Snape looked incredibly relieved. "It's nothing. Read your book." He returned to his desk.

"Well it's obviously something if you're going to react like that!" She exclaimed, moving to the other side and bracing her hands against the top in irritation. Snape closed his eyes as though in deep thought.

"Your father," he said softly, "was also a Parselmouth. I did not think your magic would be powerful enough for the ability to develop in you, and it seems I was correct."

She glared, even more irate. "So now you're calling me weak?!"

Snape moved to pacify her. "I-no! Serenity, far from it. You are powerful. But your magic is different, that's all."

"Poppycock!" She was tearing up again, and Snape cursed teenage moodswings. "You-you're only telling me that because I'm my father's daughter, and you don't want to call your Master's daughter weak!"

As soon as the words left her lips, she knew she should not have spoken them. They'd reached a sort of truce the previous night, and she felt that she had just destroyed it. Sure, the thought had been bothering her for months, but still...

Snape settled back in his chair, a sorry expression on his face. "I did serve him, once. But something happened."

"What?" She could not help but ask.

"You." He whispered. "I held you the day you were born, and I knew then that I would do anything to protect you, especially from him."

Serenity was staring at him, unsure of how to react to his revelation. He looked so vulnerable in that moment that she knew she would not hurt him again.

The moment was broken when a knock sounded, and abruptly the mask of Potions Master slid back into place. "Read your book. We will speak more about this later."

Serenity retreated to a chair in the corner where Snape could easily watch her, the book on her lap. One of the older Slytherins she did not know entered the office to speak with him. Trying to distract herself from the strangeness of the earlier conversation, Serenity skimmed tales about the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Atlantians, taking particular delight in the moving pictures and drawings. Even after more than a year in the wizarding word, such little things still amused her greatly.

One particular drawing caught her attention, and she paused to look at it. Unlike the others, this drawing was at first still. It was only a silhouette, a woman judging by the body shape, with a white crescent set against the shadowy form. Suddenly the picture shifted, the image becoming clearer although the face remained obscured. Serenity traced her fingers over the page, studying it. The woman's hair, now that she could see it, was styled into two buns on either side of her head.

Curious, Serenity reached up and removed the white ribbons from her hair. Working carefully (for it was difficult to do without a mirror) she fashioned her long blond pigtails after the picture's.

"What are you doing?" The student had left, and Snape peered at her now with an eyebrow raised.

"One moment." With a final tug she retied the second ribbon and looked up at him with a smile, her hair fixed in a near-perfect imitation of the picture. It was as though as she'd never worn her hair any other way. "Well? What do you think?"

* * *

After having a couple people ask me whether or not she wore her hair in the buns, I realized that she actually didn't, and it bugged me. Fixed now! I also keep thinking she is very moody in this chapter. Then I remind myself that she's twelve, and twelve-year-olds are inevitably pretty irritating regardless. What? It's true.

Thank you to my reviewers for last chapter Rakusa, Anexia, angel313, Lily Marie Wolfe, and Chicwa88 (glad you decided to click on it!).


	15. A Mystery

Warning: Contains abuse to Snape's ego.

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

"My niece has been under guard at all times exactly as you wished, Minister. As you have heard, the attacks have not stopped. I believe it is high time you released her from this ridiculous spell." Lucius Malfoy's eyes and tone were icy as he glared at Fudge. He had not been pleased when Draco informed him of the happenings behind his back.

"Now Lucius, I only did it for the good of the other students at Hogwarts. This could just be a ploy to throw us off you know. She could still be-"

"I don't want to hear it. Release her." Lucius growled.

Fudge fidgeted. "It cannot be removed."

Lucius' eyes narrowed dangerously. "Stop your excuses. I want her freed!"

Fudge quailed. "There isn't a wizard alive who can remove it before it expires." He explained quickly.

Malfoy's hand twitched as though he itched to hex the man. "How long?"

"Well, the version cast upon her was particularly powerful magic, so-"

"How long?" Malfoy repeated impatiently.

"Another six months, a year perhaps ." Fudge squeaked. He hoped that they would be able to lock her away by then.

"WHAT?!" Malfoy bellowed angrily.

(Scene break)

When the owl post arrived one day just before Christmas, a large barn owl settled itself in front of Serenity. She fed the owl some toast and took the package. Her Aunt Narcissa had sent her a box of sweets with a letter. She opened it, and her face fell.

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"Uncle Lucius-what? Harry stop making that face, Ron close your mouth!- wasn't able to convince the Ministry to lift the spell. He says they claimed it will be impossible, because the spell has to wear off on its own. Which means I can't leave for Christmas." She explained.

"Where would you go anyway?" Asked Harry curiously.

"I was supposed to go home with Draco." At that admission, Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared identical looks of horror. "Oh grow up Harry!" Serenity griped, misinterpreting the reason for their distress.

Lockhart came to fetch her for class then, and the others chose to follow. He immediately launched into a long-winded explanation of a werewolf he'd banished from a farm. The girls listened with awe while the boys rolled their eyes.

* * *

As it was, all of them- Harry, Serenity, Hermione, the Wealseys, Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco remained at Hogwarts for Christmas that year.

"My parents didn't want you to be alone." Draco explained as he sat with her in Snape's quarters, both working on their holiday homework. Snape set his last pre-Christmas essay aside with a flourish and turned to the pair seated on his carpet.

"Serenity, Draco, get your cloaks. I promised Lucius I'd take you Christmas shopping today." As Draco took off at a run to fetch his cloak from his dormitory, Snape found himself wondering for the fifth time what he was thinking. Hogsmeade would be absolutely packed at this time of year. Serenity hurried to get ready, squealing in excitement, and Snape felt a small smile grace his lips. Oh yes. That was the reason.

She stood by his desk uncertainly as they waited for Draco. "Could...could Harry come?" She asked softly.

Snape frowned. "I am not going to be responsible for Potter." He stated firmly. But she kept looking at him with those pleading eyes, and against his better judgment he finally agreed. "You may bring Potter."

How the bloody hell had he let this happen? He'd resigned himself to looking after two extra, but how had he managed to acquire eight more? Draco started it, wanting to bring Crabbe and Goyle along. The invitation extended to Potter was immediately refused without the rest of the Golden Trio. As soon as Ron gained permission he realized he couldn't just leave his siblings behind...

Which left Snape escorting Serenity, Draco, Harry, Crabbe, Goyle, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and Percy to Hogsmeade. Needless to say, he was not pleased.

"You will all be on your best behavior today. Put one toe out of line and you will find yourselves in detention until summer." Snape threatened. The students nodded their agreement.

Once they reached town the older children plus Ginny scattered under strict orders to return in no more than two hours, with the threat of the loss of ten house points per minute if they dared to be late. At first, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and the Golden Trio all attempted to remain close to be with Serenity as Snape escorted them to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer.

"Malfoy throw that at me one more time, I dare you!" Harry glared at Draco.

"I did nothing. Crabbe, Goyle, did you see anything? I didn't think so." Draco responded with a sneer.

Goyle smacked Ron when Snape wasn't looking and Ron tried to hex him, only to have his wand stilled by Hermione.

The fights between her friends upset Serenity, who looked close to tears. Snape noticed and scowled.

"Twenty points from Gryiffindor, Potter. Now, you three get out of my sight. I don't want to see you for an hour!" He snapped. Harry wanted to protest, but Ron was already up and halfway out the door. Hermione dragged Harry out before he could get them into even more trouble.

The remaining Slytherins didn't understand why Serenity refused to speak to them after that.

Finally, Snape sent the remaining three extras away, leaving him alone with her. "That wasn't nice." She said sourly, fiddling with her butterbeer bottle.

Snape reached over to pluck it from her hands. "Would you rather I had let the fight continue?" He asked. She pouted.. He sighed and reached out to cover her hand gently with his. "Serenity-"

She was saved from answering him when Ginny skittered into the pub in an attempt to evade Percy, who had set himself the task of babysitting her. "Can I stay with you, please? Percy's going to drive me batty!" Outside, a shopkeeper ran past yelling about thieves.

Serenity laughed and hugged her friend as she stood. "Can we go Christmas shopping now professor?" Snape sighed and resigned himself to an afternoon chaperoning a pair of pre-teen girls. It was better than listening to her sulk for the rest of the day.

Snape watched the pair of them pouring over a particular shelf in a odds and ends store for the fourth time, giggling. One part of him wanted to know what they found so amusing, but the other was afraid that he wouldn't like the answer.

Percy caught up with them as they made their way to Honeydukes. He scolded Ginny for running off on him, and only Snape's glare (coupled with the twins following behind him and miming his every action) finally shut him up. They returned to the meeting place, and Snape took thirty points from Gryffindor by claiming Harry, Ron, and Hermione were late. He then took ten more because Ron argued with him.

* * *

Snape found himself woken most unpleasantly on Christmas morning to the sound of laughing...Gryffindors? Where in the bloody hell did Potter come from...again?

Giggling, Serenity tried to shush her friends. "Quiet! You'll wake him up!"

He sat up and yanked back the curtains of his four poster. Sure enough, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron, and Ginny Weasley were all seated on his carpet with his Serenity, looking as comfortable as you please.

"It's far too late to tell them to hush now." Snape growled, sending each and every Gryffindor on his floor a death glare. "What are you doing in my private quarters?" He demanded icily.

Serenity gave him the most innocent look she could muster. "I let them in."

Snape frowned. "The door is too far from my bed. Try again."

Serenity chuckled nervously. "Um, well, I sort of...gave Ginny the password in Hogsmead."

Snape closed his eyes for a moment, as though in an attempt to keep his temper in check. "Don't ever do that again without my permission." He warned, though he sounded more resigned than angry. He rose from the bed, clad in his gray nightshirt, and fetched his clothing from the wardrobe before heading to the bathroom to get dressed.

Now familiar with the routine, Serenity stood from the floor and moved to stand beside the bathroom to wait.

Ron looked on in abject horror at the ease with which she managed this task. "Well blimey Serenity. It's a good thing that spell doesn't actually make you go in there with him."

"Oh, it did at first." She explained, "but he convinced the house elves to shrink it so we wouldn't have to do that anymore." The others stared, so she quickly changed the subject. "Your turn Ginny."

Ginny obliged her request for help, opening her present from the twins. The brightly colored box exploded with a loud bang, streaking her hair green and causing her robes to turn bright red with strands of holly growing from it. Ginny shrieked, and Snape flung the bathroom door open in alarm.

"What happened?" His eyes scanned the room, looking for any immediate threats. Ginny yelped again, her face as red as her hair and robes before Hermione reached up to cover her eyes. He hadn't finished dressing yet, and had run out in only his underpants, with his robes clutched in his left hand and his wand in his right.

"P-Professor!" Serenity squeaked. "We're fine, it's nothing! We're fine!" Her face was nearly as red as Ginny's. Ron and Harry looked like they might be sick.

Snape, seeing no danger, promptly took ten points from Gryffindor for "noise pollution," and disappeared back into the bathroom.

He emerged several minutes later and seated himself at his desk, which was positioned so that he could Serenity no matter where she moved in the room, allowing her as much freedom as he could. He held his head high, staring Ron down when the boy dared to look at him oddly. Serenity smiled warmly, pleased that he hadn't kicked them out despite the whole fiasco.

Once able to return to the floor, Serenity picked up her next gift, a box wrapped in Slytherin green. She tore open the paper gleefully and lifted the lid, gasping as she peered inside. Snape's head snapped up to watch as she lifted the gift out reverently. The box contained a coiled silver bracelet studded with emeralds fashioned to look like snake scales. Small rubies served as the eyes, and in the light of the fire it almost seemed alive.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell us Prince Diamond gave you that too?" Asked Harry derisively as he searched the paper for a tag. Snape frowned. There was that name again, the one from the forest. . .

"No, it's not his style." She answered, ignoring Harry's jibe if she heard it.

Ginny oohed over it, wondering who would have gotten her such a thing.

Hermione, always the sensible one, said "well, Malfoy is your cousin right? Maybe another relative sent it, and the tag was just lost on the way."

"Maybe it was whoever gave you that book last year?" Ron suggested, craning his neck for a better look.

Snape winced internally. No, he'd given her the book, and the bracelet hadn't come from him. He would give her his gift later, but he doubted he could top that.

Serenity slipped the jewelry on her wrist. "I'll ask Draco later and see if he knows anything."

Ron's stomach chose that moment to loudly announce its emptiness, and Serenity laughed, standing. "Professor, can we go to breakfast now?"

Snape laid down the quill he'd been pretending to write with and stood. "We may." He motioned for the children to precede him out, mumbling about changing the password.

During the feast she seated herself beside Harry at the shrunken table, laughing happily. Dumbledore noticed the glances Snape kept sending her way. "Is everything going well, Severus?" He asked as he offered one end of a cracker to him.

Snape frowned in distaste but pulled it. The cracker let out a loud bang, producing a hat rather like a miniature tree and a holly comb amongst the confetti. Dumbledore promptly switched his own hat for the tree-like one, leaving Snape with the holly comb.

"Peachy. And just what am I to do with this?" He asked blandly.

Dumbledore smiled. "Oh, you'll think of something."

When they returned to their quarters later after the Christmas feast, Serenity's face suddenly brightened. "Oh!" She dove under her bed, Snape watching with an eyebrow raised until she emerged with a clumsily wrapped box in her hand.

She blushed as she held it out to him. "Happy Christmas, Professor."

Snape accepted the gift, his eyes wide. He hadn't thought the girl would remember him, and with the exception of Dumbledore and the occasional other teacher, Christmas gifts were rare for him. He smiled as he sat at his desk to open it, Serenity watching him anxiously.

He peeled away the green and red paper, carefully lifting the lid of the box. He stared at the...thing that lay within. "What is it?"

"A tie." She answered, grinning.

"I can see that." He answered, reaching out to lift it from the box. The red and gold lion tie let out a loud roar belaying its size and he dropped it, startled even as it began to change. She giggled as he glared at her. "Serenity..."

"Watch." She laughed, reaching out to tap it. Sure enough the tie shifted, moving from the colors of Ravenclaw to Slytherin to Hufflepuff and back to Gryffindor when tapped. Snape's lips quirked in amusement as he donned it for her benefit. The smile that lit up her face was almost worth occasionally sporting Gryffindor colors.

He held out his wand and summoned something from his desk. A sudden thought occurred to him and he turned from her, surreptitiously attaching the pretty holly comb with some conjured ribbon. He offered the box and watched with amusement as she squealed, immediately tucking the comb into one of her buns. She tore into the paper happily.

He'd given her potion ingredients not typically allowed third years. "I will, of course, teach you to use them." He assured her. He barely had time to react before she let out another squeal, throwing herself into his arms for a hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She chirped. Snape returned the hug, noting smugly that she seemed far more pleased with his gift than with the silly bracelet.

Come evening, Snape received a firecall from Madame Pomfrey. Serenity didn't pay much attention, too busy reading _Legends_.

"_After extensive research, the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that the Lunarian race brought about their own demise, if the many tales about them are to be believed. Several of those from very reliable sources have been included here. . ."_

"It seems Madame Pomfrey has a rather unusual case on her hands which requires my assistance." Serenity looked up as Snape interrupted her, a curious look on his face as he removed his tie.

"Alright." She said, following him to the Hospital Wing, book in hand. On the way, they crossed paths with Ron and Harry.

"Harry!" She chirped, catching up to him. "Where's Hermione?" Harry glanced at Snape and let out a nervous cough, dodging her question. It was not until they reached the Hospital Wing that she found out why.

Snape stopped to speak with Madame Pomfrey, and Serenity let her curiosity win as she tiptoed over to the only occupied bed, which was curtained off. She pulled back the curtain a little to peak inside and gasped.

"Hermione? You're a. . .cat!"

* * *

Thank you to my reviewers for last chapter Lily Marie Wolfe, Chicwa88, and Rakusa.


	16. Mystery After Gala Night! sorry

Chapter Sixteen

* * *

After Christmas, Serenity noticed that Ginny started to become rather withdrawn. She was pale, and often looked frightened of something unknown. Once, Serenity managed to pull her aside in the Great Hall.

"Ginny, are you alright?" She asked gently, her brows furrowed in worry. Ginny squeaked and blurted out some half-hearted excuse, scurrying from the hall.

Serenity sat beside Fred, watching Ginny go. "Fred? Have you noticed anything odd about your sister lately?"

"Fred? I'm George!" He countered with a grin. "Blimey, Serenity, I didn't think you'd been gone that long!"

"Sorry George." She said, "but have you?"

George shook his head. "Not a thing." He grinned at her. "And I am Fred." She glared and smacked the back of his head in retaliation, turning back to her dinner in a huff. Her expression turned thoughtful as her mind wandered.

So much had happened these past few months. She wished she could tell her prince about it, for surely he would know what to do, but she hadn't seen him in ages. Casting a glance at the Head Table, though, she thought this might be a good thing. Somehow, she didn't think that Professor Snape would take too kindly to Diamond's presence.

* * *

Harry stared at the little diary he held in his hands as he waited for a response.

_Hello Harry Potter, I am Tom Riddle_

Harry felt a jolt in his chest. Riddle? That was Serenity's last name, she'd changed it over the summer., though he couldn't quite recall why. Hesitating for a moment, Harry dipped his quill in his ink and wrote,

_Are you the only wizard in your family Tom? A friend of mine, her name is Serenity Riddle_.

There was a pause before Tom answered.

_It is quite possible that there have been other magical Riddles, but as I am an orphan, I do not know __the_m.

Harry seemed satisfied with this answer, because he didn't ask again. Instead, the conversation switched to the issue of the Chamber of Secrets. . .

* * *

Come February, Ginny abruptly seemed to improve. Although she was at a loss to explain it, Serenity was pleased. Ginny was even cheerful enough on Valentine's Day to confess to Serenity that she'd sent Harry a Valentine with one of Lockhart's dwarf-cherubs. Serenity giggled madly at that, and resolved to send one to Draco as a joke. She tried to corner one in the Great Hall at lunch, but the little bugger wouldn't have it.

"Ain't goin near that one I'm not." It growled as it dodged her again. Curiously, all the others she met that day seemed to have a similar reaction to her. When Snape fetched her after her last class and brought her back to their room, she was rather put out.

"Stupid dwarfs." She grumbled. Snape arched an eyebrow at her behavior, and placed her book in front of her. She pulled it close to read, but the tale she selected didn't make her feel any better.

_The beings of the Silver Millennium have always been said to be the polar opposites of the creatures of Earth. While some half-humans failed to recognize this, the dwarfs did not. Long before the Lunar War, they declared themselves enemies of the Lunarians, and swore that they would never allow themselves contact with one again... _

* * *

Easter came and went, the only notable event for the second years being the selection of their third-year electives. Serenity chose Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Ancient Runes, waving off Snape's suggestions of Arithmancy.

"That sounds too much like math." She scowled. He snorted in response and bade her to fetch the nightshade for his current work. It was a difficult potion, a preparatory concoction for the petrification antidote he would soon have to create. Unfortunately, the timing of the brew required his attention during the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch game. Snape obligingly charmed his mirror to show the game for her, and positioned it behind himself within a silencing charm so she could watch it without distracting him.

He'd only just begun the delicate process of his brewing when she suddenly shot from the bubble. "Professor!" Snape saw the terror in her eyes, and removed the charm to watch the mirror in shock. Another attack had occurred.

He should have expected it, he supposed, though he had hoped.. . .

The very next day Fudge came again, this time to have Hagrid arrested. Then, as a "precautionary measure," he and his aurors sought out Serenity once more.

When Fudge and one of the aurors entered the Great Hall (leaving the other outside to watch Hagrid) all eyes trailed them. The auror moved to the Gryffindor table, while Fudge headed for Professor McGonagall, looking incredibly nervous.

"Minerva, if you would be so kind, please let Albus know that I'm taking the girl as a precaution. I'm afraid I forgot to tell him before I left your Gamekeeper's hut." As he finished speaking the auror took Serenity's arm and attempted to pull her up. Draco bolted out the door.

"Absolutely not! Minister we've been over this already!" McGonagall protested, glaring at him severely.

"I'm afraid it's only for the best." Fudge tried to pacify her.

Ginny, seated at Serenity's side, let out a yelp of fright and clutched her hand. "Serenity!" The students were torn between watching the teachers and watching the Gryffindors. Most of the Gryffindors didn't even move, proving their own doubts.

Fred and George did not ignore their sister's cry. They pushed the auror back, getting between him and Serenity. "Leave her alone!" They chorused.

All eyes were drawn to the doors of the hall when they slammed open, framing an scowling Lucius Malfoy and his son. "What is going on here Minister? You presume to move behind my back concerning my niece yet again?"

Fudge attempted to draw himself up importantly. "It is for the good of the students, Lucius."

Lucius stalked forward dangerously. "The girl has been under guard for months, Fudge. You know as well as I that she has done nothing wrong, and you will not be taking her anywhere." By the time he finished speaking, Lucius stood no more than a foot from the minister, a deep scowl across his face and his hand over the pocket of his robe containing his wand. He made an intimidating sight, and Fudge was cowed.

"Yes, yes, you're right of course. Aberyst, leave her be then, if you would be so kind." The auror moved away from the Gryffindor table, and Lucius followed them out to make sure they left with only Hagrid.

After that, the school fell into a somber mood. Dumbledore and Hagrid were both gone, Hermione and a Ravenclaw prefect were petrified. . .

The only bright spot Serenity could see was that people had finally stopped suspecting Harry. However, their suspicions of her only intensified. Only Harry, the Weasleys, and Professor Snape seemed to have any confidence left in her.

"It's going to be alright, Serenity." Snape assured her as they sat in their quarters one evening. "When the mandrakes mature I will make the antidote, and everything will be fine."

"And if they close the school?" She asked, her eyes begging for reassurance.

Snape sighed. "It is likely, but I suppose that we will be able to hold classes elsewhere if that is the case."

Serenity sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Professor," She ventured after a moment, "Do. . .do the professors know where the Chamber of Secrets is?"

Snape scowled. "If we knew that, Serenity, this crisis would have been over long ago. Why do you ask?"

Serenity stared at her lap. "Professor Lockhart said in class today that he's figure it out." She mumbled.

Snape sniffed in distaste. "I seriously doubt that. You really shouldn't believe everything the man tells you, Serenity."

"Why not?" She asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "He did all those things in his books." She said.

Snape merely arched an eyebrow. "Did he? Have you seen him perform any of those spells he lays claim to? Rather, have you ever seen him correctly perform any spell at all?"

Serenity's eyes widened. "You don't think he's lying do you?" Snape's expression confirmed it. "But. . .he's. . ."

Snape huffed and stood. "Just because Professor Lockhart is attractive to the female populace- and Merlin knows why- he is not infallible. It will do you well to learn to read critically, to judge the logic of the things you are told."

Serenity's brow furrowed in confusion. She hadn't said anything about Lockhart being attractive- though he was. "Hermione said that most wizards haven't got an ounce of logic."

Snape's lips quirked. "Ms. Granger is, unfortunately, correct. One of the failings of most magical educations is the sheer lack of critical thinking skills taught. Students would do much better on their exams if they knew how to better think through the questions asked. Speaking of which," Snape pushed her bag towards her. "Exams are close, you should study."

Serenity's eyes widened. "We're not seriously having exams now?!" She yelped. Snape merely arched an eyebrow and she groaned, turning to her work.

* * *

Snape didn't like it, but because the needed antidote was so volatile, he did not feel safe with Serenity in the room. Only Lockhart was available to watch her, and so he dropped her off at Lockhart's office with her school work that morning. He was pleased to note the distinct absence of any fangirlesque behavior on her part, though Lockhart didn't even seem to notice.

Lockhart smiled at the girl when Snape left. "Would you like any help preparing for my exam Serenity? Of course, if you have been paying attention all year I'm sure it won't be too challenging." He gave her one of his award-winning smiles, but Serenity was not impressed. She had taken Snape's advice to heart and thought hard about just how incredibly pointless Lockhart's class really was. And besides, when came to looks he didn't hold a candle to her missing prince.

"No thank you, sir." She answered, seating herself on the carpet by his desk. Compulsively, she reached into her pocket to check that Diamond's gift, the single black earring, was still there. It was.

"Of course, of course." Lockhart answered, trying not to look put-out. He turned back to his fan mail while she studied.

Later, he could not say when he fell asleep, nor could he explain why he was able to.

He woke only when he heard Professor McGonagall's voice magically projecting throughout the school to call a staff meeting. He hurried to straighten himself out, taking meticulous care with his hair and robes, and made his way to the staff room.

"What did I miss?" He flashed the professors one of his winning grins, but they seemed unimpressed. Professor McGonagall began debriefing him, but Snape's ice-cold voice interrupted.

"Where is Ms. Riddle?" He demanded, his eyes sweeping the room to make sure he wasn't missing anyone who could be watching her. He wasn't.

Lockhart wilted under the intimidating stare. "Ah, well, that is, she..." He stammered, looking around himself as though he had only just realized that he should have had her..

"You LOST her?!"

Snape's alarm had never activated when Serenity disappeared. This could only mean that the protectori spell was broken. It was said that no wizard or witch alive could break it.

Snape swooped in on Lockhart, shoving him against the wall. "If anything happens to her I swear Lockhart you will wish the Heir had gotten you too!" He snarled, spitting Lockhart's name as though it were a foul curse.

Professor McGonagall pulled him away. "Gilderoy, you did say just the other day that you know where the chamber is, did you not? Here's your chance. Ginny Weasley and probably Serenity Riddle have been taken there by the Heir. If you hurry, you can save them. Go on." The other professors added their support, both to get Lockhart out from under their feet and to get him away from Snape before he lost his head for losing the girl.

When Lockhart was gone Snape fell to the floor, his head in his hands. "Not again." He mumbled. "Please not again!"

McGonagall gripped his arm and pulled him up. "Keep yourself together Severus. Those girls need us! We have to figure out what to do."

Snape struggled to stand, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes they were blank, his emotions sealed away until he had time to deal with them. "What's our plan?"

* * *

Yes, I know it's probably a bad place to leave you all hanging, but blame finals week and the imminent Orgo exam. URGH! I will be so happy when I am finished with this class! Wish me luck...I'm going to need it.

Thank you to my reviewers from Chapter Fifteen: Chicwa88 (not quite a camera. . .you'll see.), Lily Marie Wolfe, shieldmaiden333, angel 313, and Alcandre (Thanks for the flattering description! You make me happy. ^_^). Glad you are all enjoying it!

However, I seem to have lost my muse. *Sniff* If anyone sees LadyArcana81, want to send her back please? I miss you Lady!


	17. The Return of the Prince

Chapter Seventeen

* * *

Ron dropped to his knees, and Harry let loose a gasping breath. Ginny had been taken, and Serenity. . .How had the spell failed to hold? It should have have kept her safe! It didn't make any sense!

When the teachers were gone Harry gently shook Ron's shoulder. "Come on Ron, if Lockhart is going to try to enter the Chamber, we should tell him what we know."

A choked sob reached his ears. "Ginny! How could this happen, Harry?"

"I know Ron, I'm worried too." Harry's voice shook.

Ron let out a hiccup. "Don't you get it Harry? Serenity IS the Heir! She had to be, there's no other explanation!"

Harry started. "Ron, don't say that! Maybe the Heir took her too, maybe she's just as scared as Ginny is right now!" He said severely, but even as he spoke, doubts began to creep into his mind. Ruthlessly he squashed them.

Ron gave a disbelieving snort, but Harry ignored it. They couldn't afford to waste any more time. "We have to get going Ron!"

Ron wiped his eyes furiously as Harry helped him up. Harry was right. Ginny needed him. He was her brother, and it was his job to protect her. Together, they ran to Lockhart's office.

* * *

_An hour previously. . . _

Ginny lowered her wand, her blank eyes failing to register the chilling blood-red words she'd just finished casting upon the wall.

_Her skeleton shall lie in the Chamber forever. . ._

Her grip upon the diary in her hand tightened reflexively as she made her way down the hall towards Lockhart's office. With a simple wave of her wand from outside the door the fool was snoring, and only a second muttered incantation was needed to break the spell set upon the Dark Lord's child.

After all, the ministry had said that no witch or wizard alive could break the spell, yet still it was rarely used for those in need of protection .. What they had failed to mention was why. Voldemort had caused great panic when he openly proved he could- and regularly did- break the protectori spell.

Serenity had no time to register Ginny's entrance before the wand was pointed at her. The gems of the snake bracelet she'd mysteriously received for Christmas that year began to glow, the jewelry seeming to come alive as it moved on her arm, tightening its grip to put her under its spell and the diary's control.

Serenity stood, following Ginny from the room. They padded through silent corridors down to the second floor girl's bathroom. There, Ginny stopped in front of a certain sink, turning to Serenity with a suddenly expectant look. Serenity stepped forward and opened her mouth at the bracelet's urging, but nothing came out.

Ginny leaned in close as though inspecting the girl, trying to determine if something was wrong. "Open it." Her voice was flat as she verbalized the command to reinforce it.

Serenity tried, and again nothing happened.

Ginny turned from her and hissed the command sharply before roughly shoving the other down the slide.

* * *

She wasn't sure how much time had passed. When they'd reached the Chamber of Secrets Ginny had moved away from her, sitting on the ground with the little diary in hand. Serenity found herself commanded to simply wait, so she did.

A sort of black mist seemed to rise from the diary and gradually coalesce into a form, shadowy and indistinct. Ginny fainted, and the form became that of a teenage boy. Slowly he moved towards her, reaching out. She felt electricity where his hands made contact with her face, tilting it up to study it. He released her after a moment and walked about her as though appraising her..

"I've been watching you. Useful little thing, this bracelet I found in Hogsmeade. It was already imbued with spells designed to track the wearer." His lips quirked. "Advertised as a way to track children out on dates, I think." He snorted in amusement as he stalked around her again, seeming to consider something.

"It didn't take much to add a few additional spells to let me know more about you and your power." Tom told her. "When Ginny told me of you, I was. . .intrigued. That is why I wanted to keep an eye on you, see how much like me you really are."

His fingers caressed a lock of her blond hair, done up in what Fred and George had dubbed her meatball style, before his face twisted and he yanked on the pigtail harshly.

"You are not a true Heir. Your magic is pitiful. You do not speak to the snakes as I do. You do not hate the mudbloods as I do-" he yanked harder. "You're not even a bloody Slytherin!" His temper flared and he struck her.

She fell with a cry, looking up at him in fear from her place on the floor, the bracelet's hold abruptly broken.

"So why," he growled, "did I ever allow you to be born?"

"Who-who are you?" She stammered, her frightened mind unable to comprehend the meaning behind his words.

An ugly smirk crossed his face. "I am a memory of one Tom Marvolo Riddle, otherwise known as the Dark Lord Voldemort, your father." He hovered over her. "As you can see, however, I have no need for an Heir, especially for one as useless as you."

He waved his hand over her, and the bracelet reclaimed control of her body, guiding her to sit next to Ginny so that he might take her energy when the red head's was gone. She wasn't good for much else, after all.

When he heard the distant crash signaling an intruder Tom scowled, before allowing a smirk to spread as he heard Harry Potter's voice echoing down the corridor. With a wave of Ginny's wand he moved the girl within full view of the entrance, then motioned for Serenity to hide. Her body moved as instructed, claiming a spot behind a pillar where she would not easily be seen.

She heard Harry enter the Chamber and call Ginny's name. She heard his conversation with Tom perfectly.

"You expected me to keep my filthy muggle father's name?!" Tom spat.

Harry faced him head on, trying to stall while he attempted to think of a plan. "You gave his name to your daughter, didn't you?"

Tom laughed. He wondered that himself, not that he would ever tell Potter. "So I did." He waved his hand to beckon her, and her body moved against her will, coming to stand by his side. "She's a very pretty girl, isn't she?" He murmured, his electric fingers brushing through her hair. "Do you like her, Harry Potter?"

"Wh-what?" Harry's cheeks heated. What in the world was he playing at?! A smirk crossed Tom's lips as he took in Harry's expression.

"I wonder, Harry Potter. Could you fight her? Could you fight my little Heir? My little...Heir of Slytherin." The lies rolled off his tongue easily as Tom throughly enjoyed Harry's horrified look.

Tom leaned in close, pressing his almost-solid body flush to his daughter's in a mock show of affection. His lips tingled against her ear as he ordered "Kill him."

Serenity's lifeless eyes fixed on Harry as she raised her wand, firing spells she didn't even know at him. Wandless, Harry ran. "Snap out of it Serenity!" She chased him, though she had never been as quick as he and he soon outran her.

Inwardly she struggled, trying to wrest control of her body back. Her success was limited at best. Once their eyes met, but she was able to somehow make the bracelet ignore it.

Tom seethed at her failure. "You useless little wretch!" He cursed as her, using his magic to fling her against a wall. She cried out in pain, sliding limply to the floor. Harry winced, but remained hidden.

Patience wearing thin, Tom summoned the basilisk to finish the job. Serenity could hear the sounds of the battle raging around her, but could not find the strength to move. She heard Tom laugh, heard him taunt, heard him curse. The blinded basilisk flailed about the chamber, its tail lashing out, smacking against pillars and walls. It caught her hard in the stomach, and she screamed as she was thrown again.

"Serenity!" Harry cried, rushing towards her when her body struck the floor and the screaming ceased.

"Worry about yourself, Harry Potter!" Tom laughed as the basilisk lunged for him.

Serenity thought she must have blacked out, for the next thing she heard was Tom's angry voice above her. "My basilisk may be dead, but your little Potter boy is dying. I think you should help him along." He forced her weakened form to her feet when she could not stand on her own, directing her over to Harry, who had a phoenix kneeling beside him, crying.

"What? No! Get away from him! Get away you stupid bird!" Tom chased Fawkes off, glaring at the fast-healing Harry. "No matter. You will still die." He conjured an ornate silver dagger, forcing it into Serenity's hand. "And you will kill him."

He stepped back to watch, grinning as Serenity took a step towards Harry. "Well, do it! Do it now!" He urged. "Kill him!"

She took another step, then faltered. She was fighting him with every ounce of strength she had left. Her hands shook from the effort as she stepped forward again, raising the dagger. _No!_ Her mind cried. _NO! Someone help me please! Someone! I can't let him hurt Harry, I can't! _

_Please! Professor! _

She screamed, and something within her glowed flickeringly, the light darting about her as she fought his control. Tom (though he had no need to breathe just yet) sucked in a startled gasp as she brought the dagger down, his eyes fixing on the glowing crescent on her forehead. "That's why. . ."

_Diamond!_

* * *

Far away from Hogwarts another blond head shot up in surprise and alarm, ignoring the laughter of the students around her as the teacher told her off for daydreaming.

* * *

Diamond squirmed in his chair. Something wasn't right (and he didn't mean the utter lack of progress with the scouts of the past, though that wasn't acceptable either). Something was pulling on his conscience, demanding his attention. He tried to shake it off, but the feeling persisted.

Suddenly the sense of wrongness intensified and he shot up from his chair, unable to ignore it any longer.

"Diamond?" Questioned a startled Saphir in concern.

"I'll return shortly." Announced the prince stiffly before teleporting from the room, cursing his own stupidity. Of course! He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black crystal, feeling his Serenity's desperate call through it.

The crystal was infallible, pulling the summoned through magic, space, time, anything to get them to where they were needed. And right then, his Serenity needed him.

* * *

Serenity gave a cry she tried to halt the dagger's descent, but her body would not obey. Tom's laughter rang through the chamber-quickly followed by his curse and the sudden release of his influence over her. In her relief and exhaustion Serenity did not immediately look for the cause, throwing the dagger as far as her strength allowed before she fell to the floor.

Diamond had found himself floating high in a large stone room. It took him only a second to appraise the situation, easily recognizing the signs of one with a controlled body (he often employed the technique himself, after all). Locating the source as the laughing boy he shot a blast of energy at him, forcing the teen to jump out of the way and breaking his concentration.

Immediately, Diamond placed himself between his Serenity and the aggressor, who was pointing a wand at him. His third eye opened as he created an energy shield, protecting the children behind him from the deadly spells.

When Harry snapped out of his shock, he seized upon an idea. Grabbing the basilisk fang and the diary from beside him, he drove the fang deep into the center of the book, holding it firmly as warm ink poured out and coated his hands.

Diamond watched in fascination as their hologram-like foe screamed and exploded with a bright flash, which forced him to drop to Serenity's side and cover them both with his cloak to avoid blindness. He watched as the bright gems on the beautiful but sinister-looking bracelet she wore grew dull, the entire thing slipping off her wrist to land on the stone floor with a clang.

"Serenity." He lifted her limp form into his arms, taking no heed of the boy before him. Serenity did not stir.

"Who are you?" Asked Harry, trying to draw the man's attention as his violet eyes scanned the floor. Spotting the item he sought, the prince pocketed Serenity's wand.

That task completed, Diamond shifted Serenity to make sure she was comfortable before even sparing Harry a glance. "I am Prince Diamond of the Dark Moon Clan." With that, the two of them vanished.

"Wait!" Harry tried to call, but they were already gone. Shaking, he moved to try to rouse Ginny, to escape from the Chamber and try to discover where they had gone.

* * *

Saphir looked up sharply when Diamond teleported into his lab, a girl cradled against his chest. "Diamond?" he questioned, hurrying forward. The girl was limp and pale, frighteningly so.

"She needs help Saphir, she's been injured." Diamond's eyes stared into his brother's, and for a moment Saphir saw true terror there. He hurried to clear a space on his table.

"Set her down, and I'll do what I can." Saphir instructed. In these matters Diamond knew not to question him. He laid her gently upon the table, removing his own cloak to cushion her head as Saphir set to work.

"She will live." It was an order, not a question.

"Yes my prince." Saphir answered as he set about determining the damage done.

* * *

You know, no matter how many times I say I won't write during exams, the darn plot bunnies just won't leave me be! OY! Well, good for you guys, I guess.

Only two reviews last chapter? Was nobody worried about poor Serenity? However, the frequent mentions of Diamond in the last chapter did pay off though. I did get you thinking about him. . . but who saw THIS comeback coming? Mwhahahaha!

Thank you to the two who did love me enough to leave a review, Sakura Lisel and Chicwa88.


	18. Pluto Knows Best

Chapter Eighteen

* * *

Once he'd managed to rouse Ginny, Harry hurried to collect the diary, the bracelet, the Sorting Hat, and the sword. He was shaking all over, and almost missed the glint of black crystal on the floor. Pausing, he stooped to pick it up. It was the black crystal earring he'd seen Serenity with before, the one she'd once said she'd gotten from her prince.

The prince he'd never believed existed until he took Serenity away.

He was in a sort of shock, barely remembering to comfort the distraught Ginny as they made their way out of the chamber. He greeted Ron faintly, and the other boy didn't seem to notice or care that Serenity was gone.

It was not until later, as he told Dumbledore his story, that it seemed to hit him. "He took her. I mean, he's taken her before, but it's different this time. He was. . . angry, I think. At me, but at himself too, because she's hurt. I don't think he's going to bring her back."

Dumbledore's expression was grave. "This man has taken Serenity places before?"

"Yes." Said Harry. "I've been hearing about him from her for years, but I never believed her. She couldn't even tell me of a proper kingdom." Harry's brows drew together. "He said he was Prince Diamond of the Dark Moon Clan, wherever that is."

Dumbledore shook his head. He'd never heard of them either. "Harry, my boy-"

The door flew open, and Lucius Malfoy stormed in. As he argued with Dumbledore over his return to the school, Harry's eyes locked on Dobby, who was performing some sort of charade. His big eyes kept darting from the diary to Malfoy, and he was miming a beating, or a fight of some sort.

It clicked.

"You!" Harry couldn't help himself. The anger rushed through him hot and sudden, and he knew he wanted to hurt Malfoy however he could. "How could you?! She loved you! She loved you, she trusted you!" He might have flown at Malfoy then and there had Dumbledore not lain a comforting hand on his shoulder to calm him.

Malfoy looked rather confused for a moment. "What on Earth are you talking about Potter?"

"Voldemort was in that diary!" Harry hissed. "He was there, and he hurt her! I saw him! He yelled at her, and made fun of her, and he threw her against a wall! I heard her bones crack! There was blood where she hit!"

Malfoy sneered. "Whatever happened to Ms. Weasley is no fault of mine."

Harry laughed. He knew he must have sounded insane, but just then he didn't care. "Not Ginny you great prat. Serenity! And now she's. . . she's. . ." Harry choked on his words, and Malfoy descended upon him, a look of terrified anger on his face.

"Where is my niece?!" He demanded, seizing Harry's shoulders in a crushing grip.

"Gone, I'm afraid. It appears that Voldemort's actions against her triggered the presence of, well, I suppose you could call him her guardian. He took her from the Chamber of Secrets. Her whereabouts are currently unknown." Dumbledore's eyes were steely as he glared at Malfoy.

"You let some stranger take her?" Malfoy snarled, releasing his grip on Harry to reach for his wand as though he would hex them.

"I wouldn't do that Lucius. Draco will need to be told, and you can hardly do that from Azkaban." Dumbledore cautioned, and Malfoy seemed to listen, although he hated to do so. He turned and stormed from the office, kicking Dobby on the way.

Harry had an idea. He really should give the diary back, shouldn't he? If he couldn't hurt Malfoy, he could at least annoy him.

* * *

"ARRRUUGGHH!!!!"

Sailor Pluto was doing something she hadn't done in centuries. She was having an apoplectic fit of rage. Somehow, when the prince of Nemesis removed the moon princess from the strange new dimension, he broke whatever block had kept her from Pluto's eyes. And Pluto was not happy with what she saw, not one bit.

She wasn't sure who deserved her anger more, the insane wizard who sought a Lunarian's power for himself, the arrogant young Potions Master who decided to give this power to his master, the meddling old fool who separated the infant princess from the best guardian she would have in that dimension, or the white prince who sought to insert himself in a time and dimension not his own.

"I must not interfere. I must not interfere. I must not!" She had to keep repeating this mantra to herself as she took in all that had happened in this branch of time. Pulling on her hair in frustration, she peered into the palace on Nemesis, hoping against all hope that the princess was safe.

"They'd better hope the princesses of the two dimensions don't meet. That could destroy the time-space continuum altogether." With this reminder, Pluto let out another groan. She could not interfere.

* * *

Serenity shifted, slowly waking. Confused, she tried to sit up.

"Rest easy, princess." Diamond gently helped her sit, arranging the cushions more comfortably around her.

"Where am I, Diamond?" She asked softly. Everything hurt, and her body begged her to return to sleep. "Where's Harry? Is Ginny alright?"

"Shush now, one question at a time." He brought a cup of cool water to her dry lips, urging her to drink. "You're at my home now, Serenity. You're safe here, I promise."

She lay back again, exhausted. "And Harry?..."

"Your friends are fine." Diamond soothed. "Sleep now." A gentle nudge from his power backed his words, and soon she slept soundly again. Saphir came to check her over, an obvious frown on his face.

"I don't understand it Diamond. It's been over a week and still she won't heal. It's like something is stopping her strength from returning to her." Saphir shook his head as he stared at the small screen in his hands.

Diamond scowled. "She'll be fine." He insisted. "She'd better off here than back at that school."

Saphir did not argue. Instead, he asked, "does Wiseman know of our guest?"

"He doesn't need to!" Diamond snapped. "This is none of his business!"

'"Of course, my prince." Saphir murmured before giving a short bow and retreating. Near the door he stopped. "Ah, before I forget, you might be interested to know that Small Lady has brought the scouts of the past into the time stream with her. They are headed to the Thirtieth Century."

Diamond scowled. "Thank you, Saphir." He said as his brother left. Diamond bent, placing a soft kiss on Serenity's forehead before making his way quickly to the throne room to see what pests of the past were up to.

* * *

Pluto frowned. Saphir was right. It was taking the princess far too long to heal. She would sustain far worse injuries as Sailor Moon and recover perfectly fine, so why?. . .

Pluto resisted the childish urge to smack herself on the head. The princess always recovered before because the light the moon, her home, her heart, her soul, could reach her. From Nemesis, the Earth's moon could not be seen.

Pluto let out another groan. She STILL could not interfere.

* * *

Diamond peered at the holograms curiously. For the first time, he noticed the similarities between the Neo-Queen and Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon looked to be younger than the queen, but older than his princess currently was, though not much older. A year or two, perhaps. . .

He gasped, his violet eyes widening. What a fool he was! Sailor Moon of the past became the queen of the future, so his princess became Sailor Moon. His princess would become his enemy unless he somehow prevented it.

Diamond paced the room, wondering what to do with this realization. He had his princess, and if he kept her close she should remain loyal to him alone, but she was so young still. So very young. . .but Sailor Moon was not. He whipped about, hurrying to the hologram again, his eyes raking over the girl's form.

"Emerald," He called for his follower, pointedly ignoring the look of adoration she gave him. "Take care of these Sailor Scouts. However, bring Sailor Moon to me, unharmed."

He also ignored the momentary look of distaste on her face as she bowed. "Yes, my prince."

* * *

Pluto watched with bated breath as Sailor Moon fought Emerald's monster and barely avoided capture. She watched as the scouts safely reached the thirtieth century and were met by the King. She could not relax until the Scouts returned to their own time. As dangerous as it was for their past and future selves to meet, under no circumstances could the princess of that dimension be permitted to meet the one Diamond currently held. Pluto hoped that he was smart enough to know this.

* * *

Diamond was not pleased when Emerald failed him. He stormed from the throne room, stalking the halls of his palace in irritation. On his stroll, he passed the room where he'd placed his princess. After a moment's hesitation, he quietly stepped inside.

Her blue eyes fluttered open when she heard his footsteps, and she smiled at him, before that smile turned to a frown of worry. "Diamond?" She asked quietly, the old English on her tongue so very different from the old Japanese Sailor Moon used, "are you alright?"

He reached out to brush her bangs back, her very nearness seeming to calm him. "I am now, princess." He said, moving to sit beside her. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

She shifted to lay back, exhaustion in every feature. "In a bit." She murmured, shifting to lay closer to him. "Diamond, will you stay with me for a while? Just until I fall asleep?" Her imploring gaze was so innocent and trusting that Diamond could not refuse her.

"Of course, Serenity." He smiled, taking her hand in his. He was surprised when she gave a gentle tug, pulling him down to rest beside her. Letting a small smile grace his features, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I love you, Prince Diamond." She whispered as she tucked her head against his chest. Slowly her breathing evened out, and she slept.

Diamond stared at her peaceful face. He supposed that her love for him should satisfy him, but it didn't. She was only a girl, and he was an impatient man. Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead he extracted himself from her grip and left her room, intent on locating and capturing Sailor Moon for himself.

* * *

Diamond had left her with no choice. Sailor Pluto would have to intervene and fetch the princess herself. She couldn't, of course, simply take the girl back to Hogwarts, since the prince would find her there far too easily. Thus, her current plan.

She used her Time Key to appear in the room with the sleeping princess, lifting her gently from her bed. Taking her back to the Time Gates, Sailor Pluto used her powers to lock away Serenity's memories of her life in the odd dimension. She gave her memories based on those of the correct dimensions, memories that made her Usagi Tsukino, kidnapped as a baby and only now returning home, with no memory of where she had been.

Pluto appeared on the doorstep of Usagi's parents' home with the restless princess in her arms. As the moonlight spilled over her she relaxed, the place of her birth working its own magic on her weakened body. Satisfied that her princess would recover, she took her inside and laid her on the couch before going upstairs to manipulate the memories of her parents to match the memories she'd given Usagi. When they woke, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino would believe that their infant daughter was kidnapped nearly twelve years ago. When they went downstairs they would find her in their living room, and they would know she was theirs.

Pluto hoped that Usagi's other memories would remained sealed, and when the time came she would take on her role as Sailor Moon, fall in love with Mamoru, and become the Neo-Queen. This was how it always was in every dimension. This was how it always had to be. A different way could not possibly be better.

At least, that's what Pluto tried to tell herself. She would not look into the school called Hogwarts again. She did not want to see the pain she knew she would find there.

* * *

Diamond cursed and swore when Tuxedo Mask took Sailor Moon back from him. So close! He'd been so close to having her. He stormed from the room in frustration, intent on returning to his Serenity, the one King Endymion would never have.

Saphir caught him in the hall. "Diamond, come quick!" Saphir all but dragged him to the throne room, looking nervous the entire way. "You need to see." A hologram shimmered there, a security recording from his princess' room.

Diamond watched as a woman he knew to be the Time Guardian lifted the princess from her bed and vanished with her.

"I've scanned all of Earth and Nemesis. She isn't here Diamond." Saphir said softly.

"Find her!" Diamond snapped. He tried to use her black crystal to locate her, but he could not get a reading. He wouldn't if it didn't have her power behind it.

Diamond did the only thing he could think of. "Wiseman, can you tell me what has become of her?" He demanded.

There was a moment of hesitation, then the Wiseman spoke. "The scouts killed her."

Diamond froze. "Do not lie to me!"

"I speak only truth to you, my prince. They killed her for fraternizing with you, their enemy." Wiseman wove his magic with his words, picking at Diamond's weakness. "They knew she. . . loved you, and they would not allow it. She is dead."

Although something about the words rung hollow and fake, Diamond could not fight their power. He found himself completely under the Wiseman's sway. His mind was not his own. "I will destroy them. All of them, and their pathetic planet!" He snarled, the dark crystal's powers flaring about him in response to his anger.

* * *

Severus Snape did not attend the feast celebrating the vanquishing of the monster in the Chamber of Secrets. For him, there was nothing to celebrate. He opened a forgotten cabinet, withdrawing a photo and singed blanket. Holding his treasures close, he sat at his desk and cried.

* * *

WOW! Popular chapter. Chapter Seventeen had nine reviews! That's the most any chapter has gotten so far! Hopefully I haven't freaked out too many people with this chapter, but I put my flame-proof armor on just in case!

Anyway, thank you to my reviewers Lily Marie Wolfe (you'll seeee), sam, Rakusa, Irish-kitten88, cloverski9114, chicwa88, Anexia, Lawliet's Bride (aw, you mean you like it so much you can't wait for a computer and read it on your phone? I feel special. ^_^), and Alycee Lanet.


	19. Saphir's Revelation and the Prophet's BS

Chapter Nineteen

* * *

Something wasn't right. Something about the Wiseman's tale didn't make any sense. Saphir paced the corridors of the palace, thinking. Although he believed the people of Earth capable of many things, he did not think that they would kill a defenseless girl. . .even if they thought she was a traitor to them. Diamond, blinded by grief, could not think as clearly as he, Saphir, could, and so the task of truth fell to him.

Logically, If the girl was the princess as Diamond said, and Sailor Moon was also the princess, as Diamond also said, then how was it that Sailor Moon still lived if the girl was dead? Saphir frowned in confusion. He did not doubt his brother, but how was it possible?

In his wandering, Saphir found himself pacing outside what had been the girl's room. On a whim, he stepped inside. He stood over the girl's bed, noting that its white bedding was still mussed, unmade as though she'd just stepped out for a moment, and would soon return. On the stand beside her bed lay some of the instruments he'd been using to monitor her progress, as well as a glass of water purified in the castle's system, and a long wooden stick.

Curious, Saphir picked it up. It belonged to young Serenity, he knew, but he wasn't sure of its purpose. He thought back, but could not recall the Neo-Queen or Sailor Moon carrying such an object. After a moment's pause he pocketed it, and took it back to his lab for experimentation. If the girl carried a stick of well-crafted wood around, there had to be a reason.

He set the stick on the metal pedestal of his Identifier (his own creation, of course), and stepped away as dark energy surrounded the object, feeding its results into his computer. No matter what the stick was or where it had come from, his Identifier would be able to tell him its origins, down the exact coordinates of the tree that produced the wood.

After several minutes (much longer than it should have taken, Saphir thought with a scowl as he made a mental note to clean the machine later) the machine beeped. Saphir stared at his screen in surprise. "That...has to be a mistake." Just to be sure, he re-calibrated the machine, cleaned it, and reran the experiment four times. Still, the results did not change.

_**Identification Failed**_

Even if the tree were dead and a million light years away, his Identifier would find it. No identification of any object in the universe had ever failed before. He'd tested it on space rocks, Earth relics, his own hair. . . Saphir froze as a thought struck him.

Could it be?

Nearly running, he left his lab and dashed to the throne room to find his brother. "Diamond!"

Wiseman was there, and he turned his cold, creepily glowing eyes on Saphir. "Patience. I must speak to the Prince about our next plan of attack."

Saphir glared at Wiseman. "It will only take a moment! Diamond, may I borrow your earrings?"

Diamond eyes his brother for some time, until Wiseman began to speak again. Finally, Diamond held up his hand and Wiseman paused as Diamond removed his enhanced earrings and held them out, accepting the normal replacement pair Saphir offered him.

"Thank you." Said Saphir, collecting them with a short bow of respect. "Forgive my interruption." Prizes in hand, Saphir hurried back to his lab. There, he could analyze the history of the earrings' activity. He could gather the coordinates of everywhere Diamond had ever gone using their power.

This analysis was slower given the sheer amount of data to sort through. However, within an hour he had his results. Although they made sense in a weird sort of way, he could not believe what his computer was telling him.

"It's impossible, and yet here it is." Saphir stared at the innocuous black crystals on the analysis tray, the crystals with the power to pass through space, time, and dimensions. Given what his instruments told him, the only logical conclusion he could reach was that the girl, Serenity, did not belong to his dimension. Therefore, even if she were dead he would not see the results in his time line.

But it also made her death less likely. Of all the scouts to fetch her, it was the Time Guardian Sailor Pluto, who as far as he knew was not allowed to interfere in the passage of time. However, if her interference was to take the princess back . . .

Diamond had never gone to look for her. Saphir was confident that if he did, he would find her. He stood to find his brother, then stopped. Surely, Wiseman sensed that the girl did not belong? How would he know if she was murdered anyway, if her death occurred outside of this time?

He was back to the feeling of wrongness again.

Sadly, Saphir would never be able to tell his brother what he had learned. On his way to locate Diamond again, he came upon Wiseman and overheard his plans to destroy Earth and the people of the Black Moon Clan. For this, Saphir was attacked, and for this information he died. Diamond continued with his plans in that dimension, never knowing the truths that Saphir carried.

When he faced Sailor Moon again inside the Dark Crystal meant to destroy her world, Diamond still ached from the lose of Saphir and his Serenity. He seized Sailor Moon, and tried to force her to bend to his will with the aid of his third eye.

"Perhaps," he murmured as his lips drew closer to hers , "having you will make my lack of her just a little less painful."

Sailor Moon fought his control, reminding him that love gained by force was not true love, and she could never truly love him, for she loved Mamoru. Despite this, when Wiseman threatened her Diamond could not help but protect her, for she was so like his Serenity, so like the one who did love him.

He died in her arms, and she cried for him. He died believing that he would soon see his beloved younger brother and his Serenity again.

But it was not to be.

* * *

It was not until Sirius Black escaped that summer that the Daily Prophet began to run extensive articles about the disappearance of the Dark Lord's daughter.

**Sirius Black Aided by His Future Wife?**

_By: Rita Skeeter_

_Escaped convict Sirius black did not- indeed, could not- escape from Azkaban of his own power. He could only have escaped with help from the outside, help from one Serenity Riddle. _

_As the readers may well recall, Ms. Riddle caused a stir in the magical world last year when she was revealed to be the long thought dead daughter of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. According to Minister Fudge, the then twelve-year-old Serenity assisted a diary possessed by her father's memory with the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, thereby unleashing a terrible monster within the walls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_It was only the brave actions of the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, that stopped Ms. Riddle's plans from succeeding. In a battle of epic proportions Harry Potter, armed with the Sword of Gryffindor, brought down the monster and rescued eleven-year-old Ginny Weasley, daughter of Molly and Arthur Weasley, from certain death. Readers may remember Arthur Weasley as the winner of the Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw last month._

_It was in the midst of this heated battle that Ms. Riddle, aided by an unknown accomplice, escaped from Hogwarts. From there it is believed that she hid, perhaps in Albania, until she was able to __travel to Azkaban to release her father's right hand man, Siruis Black. The author's sources say that Ms. Riddle's hand in marriage was promised to Black by her father when she was but an infant. It therefore appears that Ms. Riddle rescued Black with the intention of becoming Mrs. Black. _

_More information will follow as it becomes available._

Snape kicked the old newspaper aside. For two years he'd kept any and all clippings mentioning Serenity, no matter how ludicrous they were. He remembered the day this particular article had come out, about a week after Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. Many more followed in the same vein. Indeed, by the time he'd followed the bloody fool Potter into the Shrieking Shack he'd half-expected to see her there, and was disappointed when he didn't find her.

For two years he followed any lead he could, armed only with the name and face of the one who'd taken her, Prince Diamond of the Dark Moon Clan. This Diamond was a ghost; he was a prince of a clan that did not exist. Snape could find not a trace of him, nor of her. He feared for what had become of her, and cursed himself for not pushing the issue of the white-haired stranger more forcefully.

However, by the end of the second year of Serenity's disappearance, as what would have been her fourth year drew to a close, he was glad that she was gone.

* * *

_She jerked awake, the dream already forgotten though the terror of it lingered. Glancing nervously about the room, she scampered from her own four poster bed and over to the one beside it, placed no more than five feet away. _

"_Professor," she whispered, prodding the form on the other bed. He grunted, but didn't turn. "I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?" _

_He gave another noncommittal grunt, but moved over to make room for her. She scrambled into the bed beside him, curling up under the dark green covers against a gray-clad back. The professor turned over, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin. _

"_Sleep well. . ." _

Usagi Tsukino woke with a sudden yelp as her alarm went off again. "I'm going to be late!" She scrambled from her bed, throwing on her school uniform and gathering her work, tossing it all into her bag as she ran down the stairs.

Nearly a year had passed since she woke up on her parent's sofa with no memory of who she was or where she'd been. Her parents told her everything they could, and despite the mystery that was her life for twelve years, she was happy.

Except, of course, on days like these when she was late to class. Giving another panicked yell, Usagi grabbed a piece of toast and ran out the door as fast as she could. She bolted down the streets of Tokyo, dodging people and cars with yelled apologies over her shoulder.

On the way, she spotted some boys crowded around something meowing. . .

* * *

Pluto breathed a sigh of relief. The odd dimension seemed to be straightening itself out. The battle with the Negaverse proceeded as it should have, the prince of Earth and the princess of the Moon appeared to fall in love as they should have. . .

And then the time line changed again.

* * *

O.O Chapter Eighteen broke the review record again! Wow! Ten reviews! ^_^ A couple of you guys thought the story was done. No way! I like making people wonder, but not that much! I'm posting this before I head off to sleep so I'm rested for my new job at the doctor's office tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thank you to the Chapter Eighteen reviewers, pasil (yes I know he shouldn't, but I figured Wiseman has his own brand of mind control and could make Diamond believe whatever he wanted), SailorBoo (soon enough for you?), Lawliet's Bride (I can't tell you if you're right or not, but you'll find out soon), Rakusa, Cat, angel313, Lily Marie Wolfe, cloverski9114 (thank you! And I like that saying, I might borrow that), Empress-Hermione-Malfoy (sequel? I'm not even done yet!), and Chicwa88 (oops, sorry, didn't mean to leave that impression!).


	20. Pluto's Personal Hell

Oops, looks like I confused some people with the dimension hops! From now on, everything takes place in one dimension or the Time Gate, alright?

Chapter Twenty

* * *

The Dark Lord sat in the high-backed armchair by the fire, several of his Death Eaters gathered around him. The house was ancient, with the dank and musty air of a place too long unlived in. It was a place that spoke of pain and death, of a curse upon the Riddle name.

It was in jest that he once bestowed the Riddle name upon his only child, his daughter. He'd been quite content to neglect naming the child marked for death for the sake of his power, but Severus Snape, the Death Eater responsible for her birth, convinced him that the child must live for a time, and should thus be named. Serenity, Severus had suggested then, despite the irony of it.

Funny, but the Dark Lord was feeling anything but serene.

"Lucius, Severus, Wormtail tells me that you found my daughter, and then you let some so-called prince take my little moon child away. Is this correct?" The words were spoken in a quiet hiss that spelled pain for the one at which it was directed .

The two men bowed low. What could be said for their failure? Voldemort smirked. At least they weren't foolish enough to beg.

"Crucio!" Voldemort watched with narrowed eyes as the pair screamed and writhed. He released the curse abruptly, watching them pant and shake, collapsed upon the floor.

"I do not know, nor do I care about the circumstances surrounding this mishap, but I want her found. My reign cannot be secured without her. Severus, watch her friends closely in case she attempts to contact them. Lucius, you have connections at the ministry. I want her found! Go!" He voice rose angrily, and the pair apparated away quickly with murmured thanks to their Lord for sparing their lives.

Bellatrix Lestrange, recently released from Azkaban, draped herself over her Lord's chair. "It's alright my Lord. Another child can be had. I would be more than willing to serve you." She cooed.

"Later, perhaps Bella." He gave her what could almost be called a soft look, before glaring at the others lingering in the room. "What are you all still doing here? Find her!" The Death Eaters fled, popping out of the room.

* * *

Severus sat in a comfortable winged armchair in the study at Malfoy Manor, staring wearily at Lucius. "Even her owl hasn't been able to find her?"

Lucius shook his head. "We've tried several times. Artemis is gone for a while, but always returns empty clawed." He downed a glass of firewhiskey, staring blankly into his cup. "Two years, and nothing. The blasted tree can't even tell me properly if she lives or dies!"

Severus jerked his head to look at him. "Tree?" He asked curiously.

Lucius stood and stalked to a cherry wood cabinet in a corner of the study. After rummaging around in it for a moment, he withdrew a rolled piece of parchment with a flourish. He tossed it on the desk in front Severus, who unrolled it curiously.

"It's a copy of the Black family tree, ten generations back. Serenity is there, at the bottom of it. If she were dead, her name should be written in red, but it isn't, it's in pink. _Pink!_ It turned pink about a year or so ago. The bloody thing's broken, I say!" Lucius scowled and refilled his glass.

_The funny thing about these genealogies was their tendency to record a birth name followed by whatever name the witch or wizard chose to call themselves. . ._

"Lucius!" Severus stood, staring at the tree in shock. "Do you know what this is?" He thrust the parchment at the other, who stared at it in confusion.

"What?" Lucius peered at the parchment. There, beneath the name "Serenity Riddle," were some lines that he had seen, but which had only helped to convinced him that the parchment's spell was wearing off.

Severus growled in annoyance, cursing Lucius for not showing him this sooner. "It's a kanji of some sort, I think. I can't read it, but I know someone who could."

Lucius stared. "Kanji? So you think she's somewhere in Asia?" He looked startled, horrified that he hadn't recognized the chicken-scratch like marks for what they were (nicknames tended to appear in the given person's script, and Serenity's English penmanship was bad enough).

"Yes. Stay here, I'll be right back!" Without bothering to ask, he grabbed a handful of floo powder, shouted "Snape's office at Hogwarts!" and vanished into the green flames.

It took some running, but he finally managed to track down the Headmaster at number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Severus ducked into the kitchen and dropped the parchment in front of him. "Albus, can you read this, here, at the bottom?" He pointed to the unfamiliar kanji.

Dumbledore adjusted his half moon spectacles and bent over the parchment, peering down at it. "Usagi Tsukino." He said finally. When Severus made to run off, Dumbledore reached out to put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Severus, you must know you cannot go to her."

Snape started to argue. "I have to make sure she's safe, that's she happy wherever she is! I can't just leave her there without knowing, Albus!"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "You can and you will. The Dark Lord wants her dead, Severus. Right now, she is safe because her location is unknown. If he were to find her, you would be hard pressed to save her again."

He sank down, head in his hands. "I'll tell Lucius it's chicken scratch, and I won't go looking for her." He said hollowly.

Dumbledore patted his shoulder consolingly. "It is for the best, my boy."

* * *

Sailor Pluto's eyes narrowed. She'd definitely just heard something. Creeping stealthily through the mist and fog, she approached the source of the noise, careful not to give herself away. When she was close enough she moved in, her staff pointed threateningly at the one who dared to invade her domain.

"Intruder! Those who trespass here must be eliminated." Apparently unperturbed, the intruder took a few steps forward until his form became clear.

"It's difficult to kill someone who's already dead, you know." Came the annoyingly familiar sarcastic voice.

"You! What are you doing here?" Pluto snapped, keeping her staff pointed at the ghost-like form in front of her.

Prince Diamond of the Dark Moon Clan neatly sidestepped her staff, not that he really needed to. "I wasn't allowed to pass on. Apparently, the Black Crystal earring I gave Serenity binds part of my soul to that dimension. You can't pass if your soul is split, so it was decided that I should come here."

Pluto glared. The damnable fool had caused her far too many problems already! Interfering where he should not, moving Serenity to his dimension, and forcing her to go fetch the girl back to her own lest all of time-space disintegrate. "Says who?"

Diamond merely arched one elegant eyebrow in response to her question.

"Right." Pluto sighed and lowered her staff. "Of all the places they could have sent you, why am I stuck with you?"

A wry smile twisted his face. "I was told that I am to be your punishment for interfering with time."

"WHAT?"

* * *

_She knelt in the dirt beside a boy, who was small like her, with dark hair and thick glasses. They were pulling weeds, trying to avoid pricking themselves on the thorns of the rose bushes. _

"_I'll be right back." The boy ran into the ordinary-looking house as she reached far under a bush to tug on a stubborn dandelion. The dandelion came free, and someone caught her quickly __before she fell over._

"_Hello princess." Strong arms clad in white lifted her, carefully avoiding the bush. She looked up with a smile, his warm violet eyes crinkling as he held her gently. He reached up to brush white hair from his face as he shifted her for a better grip. "Where do you want to go today?" _

"_Hmm. . . the beach!" She chirped. _

_He laughed, the sound soothing to her ears. "As you wish, princess." They vanished from the perfectly manicured lawn. _

Usagi's eyes snapped open. She gave a groan as she sat up, brushing her long blond hair from her eyes. Remembering where she was, she cast a quick look around Rei's room, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the girls were all still asleep.

After a moment she untangled herself from her stars and moon blanket and padded quietly out to the kitchen, figuring Rei wouldn't mind if she needed a quick snack to get back to sleep. She was sitting at the table toying with the cookies she'd found when Minako entered the kitchen.

"Are you all right Usagi?" Minako asked as she sat down beside her, snagging a cookie from the plate.

Usagi was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. I just had a dream, that's all." She smiled brightly.

"Want to tell me about it?" asked Minako as she took a bite from her cookie.

Usagi sighed. "Well, it was a good dream, but. . ."

"but?" Minako prodded.

Uagi looked thoughtful for a moment, playing idly with her cookie. "Well, it didn't exactly feel like a dream. It was more like. . . something I used to remember, but I've forgotten." Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember the dream, but the details were fading fast. She knew a man was involved, but she could no longer remember his face, only his beautiful violet eyes.

Minako reached across the table to rescue the mangled cookie. "Usagi, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Did you ever live in England?"

"England?" Usagi blinked. "I don't think so, but then, I don't remember much at all about the first twelve years of my life. My mom said I was kidnapped when I was only a few weeks old after all." She laughed a little. "I almost remember being Sailor Moon longer than I remember being a normal girl. Why England, anyway?"

Minako tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, it was the strangest thing. About two years ago I thought I felt the power of the Moon princess, your power, somewhere north of my school in England. Artemis felt it too. We traveled north, to about where Artemis thought the power flare came from." She laughed then. "There wasn't anything there! Just some old empty condemned shack!"

Usagi laughed with her. "Your Princess sense must be broken!" She exclaimed. "What would I be doing in some old shack?"

A while later, as the two of them prepared to go back to bed, they heard a scream from outside. Exchanging quick glances, they ran to wake up the other girls before taking off to find the source of the commotion.

Transformed, the five of them hurried down the shrine steps and a block over, where what appeared to be a rogue youma, left over from the Negaverse, had a young woman cornered.

"Stop right there!" As Sailor Moon began her speech the youma, a purple humanoid creature with silver armor, looked up and smirked at them before fading from sight, reappearing directly behind Sailor Mars. It wrapped its arms around her and vanished.

"No! Mars!" The others cried in dismay.

The youma reappeared over a desert in the daytime, obviously far from the dark Tokyo street where they'd started. It dropped Sailor Mars in the sand and vanished again, reappearing at the site of the battle.

"Everyone be careful! It can teleport far distances-Whoa!" The youma grabbed Sailor Mercury next, easily dodging Jupiter's attempt to attack it. Mercury it dropped in dark water before returning again.

This time, Venus tried to catch it with her "Venus Love-Me Chain," only to have the attack backfire rather spectacularly when the youma used the connection to take her next. The chain broke when they reached their destination, dropping Sailor Venus into the middle of a jungle.

This left only Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon. Jupiter stood on guard close to her princess with a Supreme Thunder in hand, determined to keep Sailor Moon safe. "Damn youma, when I get my hands on it I'm gonna. . ." When the youma reappeared she fired, but the youma teleported away from the attack and directly in front of Jupiter, seizing her by the throat.

Sailor Moon cried out in anguish when the last of her friends and protectors vanished from sight.

Sailor Jupiter didn't know where the youma was aiming for, but she wasn't about to let it get away with it. As soon as they reappeared she landed a hard kick to the thing's stomach. It let out a grunt and dropped her, but she grabbed it's leg, refusing to let it go. The thing howled and kicked at her, teleporting several time to try to shake her off.

Jupiter used the momentum of the kick to propel herself up to grab onto the thing's armor, landing a hardy punch to its gut. The youma rolled in midair and Jupiter held on tight, finally releasing her tenacious hold only when the creature slammed her into the side of a building, sending terrified office workers screaming as the youma threw her off into the mess of shattered glass and vanished again, this time visibly injured.

Now, only Sailor Moon remained. She whimpered in fear as she stood alone in the street, the other young woman having long since taken off. The youma grabbed her pigtails without warning and Sailor Moon screamed as she felt an unpleasant squeezing sensation. They reappeared high in the air, the setting sun a backdrop to their airborne struggle.

Sailor Moon managed to kick the thing, which yowled in pain as she hit an area already damaged by Sailor Jupiter. This only enraged the youma, and it decided to use a trick similar to the one it had used to subdue Jupiter. Shifting its grip to hold Sailor Moon tightly by the throat, it plummeted towards one of the closed windows of the giant castle below.

* * *

Oh wow! Ten reviews again! You guys make me so happy! Well, most of you. The rest make me smack my head and go "DUH! I'm stupid."

Thank you to the Chapter Nineteen reviewers cloverski9114 (Don't worry, I cried writing it! And yes I do. You get the first one in this chapter. Haha, I'm not sure who I'm punishing more!), Rakusa (Oops, sorry for the confusion. The second year took place during Pluto's musings over the Negaverse. And I know Harry doesn't have a point of view. He didn't need one. Diamond's motivations are whatever they usually are in the SM world. I thought I covered that?), Sakura Lisel (Back in chapter one it was mentioned that the Tsukino's daughter died. Pluto altered their memories to kidnapped instead of dead to put Usagi back where Pluto thought she belonged.), Empress-Hermione-Malfoy, Lily Marie Wolfe, Cat, Tenshi-Chikyuu (Thank you! *bows*), animasuperfreakgirl, and Alycee Lanet (A good OMG, I hope?)


	21. In Her Mind

I really have no excuse for how long this took. I'm sorry! All I can say is I had difficultly writing this chapter! Well, that and I just started learning to play the ocarina.

Chapter Twenty-One

* * *

Professor Severus Snape observed the mass of students over his soup sourly, struck again, as he often was, by the lack of a certain blond pig-tailed head. His grip on his spoon tightened. He knew that the white-haired stranger he'd found out about in her first year was responsible for her absence, and yet he could not help but blame himself. He should have pushed her harder for the man's identity and intentions. He should have kept a closer eye on her, should have trusted her not to get underfoot while he worked. He should have. . .

Snape's head shot up as glass flew and students screamed.

A blur of two forms hurtled through a high window in the Great Hall. They overshot the Gryffindor table and crashed down in the middle of the Hufflepuff table, sending food and silverware flying. One wide-eyed Hufflepuff sat covered in mashed potatoes and carrots, blinking in confusion until the monster rose with its purple face twisted in a sadistic grin. The youma was wounded already, battered by Jupiter and by its plunge through both an office building and an enchanted castle. Despite this, it was still a fearsome sight as it towered over Sailor Moon.

The youma snarled and the Hufflepuff screamed, all but tripping over herself in her haste to escape. Roaring triumphantly it held out its right arm, summoning a purple sword inlaid with silver. It raised the blade high above its head, bringing it swiftly down towards the Sailor's form as she struggled to sit up.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted the disarming spell and the sword flew from the youma's hand. It was Umbridge who screamed as the sword flew close to her head, chopping off the top of her hair. The other professors had recovered from their shock and were firing spells already, but the High Inquisitor had yet to move from her seat. She moved then, dropping to the floor in a dead faint.

The youma roared in anger and leaped towards Harry Potter. Spells flew at it, but the monster seemed unaffected, dodging the magic with ease. That was, until Severus Snape raised his wand and cast a stunner. By a lucky shot his spell finally collided with the monster's back, felling it as Sailor Moon managed to struggle to her feet for her final, purifying attack.

"Moon...Tiara...Action!" The flying tiara sliced into the monster, effectively chopping it in half. It gave one final scream of rage as it disappeared in a shower of pinkish sparks.

Sailor Moon dropped to the floor in a dead faint as the witches and wizards stood, stunned into silence by the youma's demise. One wizard moved forward then, soon followed by another, and then several professors converged on the fallen Scout. A startled gasp was heard, and Snape broke from the ring of teachers, running from the hall with the limp girl in his arms.

Ron turned to Harry. "What was that about, mate?"

Harry Potter, who out of all of them had gotten the best look at the Sailor Scout, shook his head. "Bugger if I know."

* * *

Mercury offered a strained smile to the young American Naval officer who offered her a blanket. Luckily, one of the men on board the ship had spotted her in the water and sounded an alert, quickly organizing a team to fetch her. One of the men on board recognized her as a Sailor Scout, and arrangements were soon made to help her get home.

Her communicator beeped, and she held her breath as she opened it, giving a disappointed sigh when Venus' face appeared.

"Well, hello to you too." Venus brushed sweaty bangs back from her forehead. "Any word from Sailor Moon?"

"Nothing." Answered Mercury forlornly. "I can't seem to track her either. It's like something is blocking her communicator's signal, or overloading it so badly that it just can't operate." She stared up at the clear sky, her eyes on the bright nearly-full moon.

"How much further?" Venus interrupted her musings.

"Oh!" Mercury turned her attention back to her computer. "You should reach a small town in about five miles." Venus groaned, and her face was replaced by Mars'.

"I ran into some hikers out here, a family. They're camping for the night and said they'd take me back to civilization in the morning." She reported, her voice quiet so as not to wake her companions.

"Alright. Get some rest Mars. I'll let you know if I hear from Moon or Jupiter." Replied Mercury as she closed her communicator. Jupiter had reported in briefly to tell them that she was still in Tokyo, and would handle the situation with their families.

The moon set over the Pacific, and still no one had heard from its princess.

* * *

"The Ministry is quite clear on this issue! According to Section Four, Article Sixty-Three of the Foreign Magics Law of 1533, the girl's non-standard foreign magics must be reported to the Ministry immediately! They have jurisdiction! The Minister has the right to know that a witch has entered the country illegally!"

Snape's fingers twitched he glared at the gap in the curtain. The woman's shrill voice was grating on his nerves, and he was was trying to concentrate. What he wouldn't give to be able to hex her.

Thankfully, Dumbledore intervened before he could act on his impulse. "According to Ms. Chang, our foreign witch is none other than Sailor Moon, who is quite famous in many Asian countries. If that is the case, it is likely she will not want her identity known, Dolores." He said kindly.

The woman puffed up like an angry frog. "Sailor Moon? _Sailor Moon_! A moon person, according to the Japanese Ministry! Our Ministry has policies concerning these. . . _moon people_. They're not natural. They're not even human!"

Madam Pomfrey emerged from her office, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "Professors if you cannot be quiet in my Hospital Wing I will have to ask you to leave!" She scolded them. "I have sick patients who need their rest!"

"So sorry Poppy." Dumbledore gave a small, apologetic bow before escorting Umbridge out. "We could perhaps discuss this over tea in my office?"

Finally granted the silence he needed, Snape stared down at the still form on the bed. When he'd brought her to the Hospital Wing, he'd chosen this bed because of the window, and the moonlight that streamed in from above. Serenity always did better in the moonlight.

He'd known who she was when he'd seen her laying there on the floor of the Great Hall, b ut it had taken him time to convince himself of the truth of it. The magic within her was different, the strength of the Lunarian power confusing him, though he knew it could only be her.

And yet. . .

When he looked into her mind, the memories he saw were all relatively new, and none included Hogwarts, or Harry Potter, or him, or even magic as he knew it. When he tried to press further back he hit a barrier of some kind, a tight weave of purple and black that resisted even his most determined advances, and often reacted violently to his attempts to breach it.

If she woke and did not know him Snape was not certain how he would handle it. He'd lost her once, gotten her back, lost her again, and now here she was once more. He was being given more chances than he ever deserved, and he would not fail her again.

Gently he reached out, taking her small white-gloved hand into his larger one, calloused from years of toiling over his potions. Using this connection he reached again into her mind, sifting past surface thoughts of her friends and a boy called Mamo-chan (whom he instantly disliked), down to the barrier once more. He poked and prodded at it, but still the many dark threads would not yield to him.

So focused was he on his efforts, that he only just caught the flash of white out of the corner of his eye. He turned quickly, but saw no one. He did, however, spot something that he hadn't seen before. Seizing upon it, he grasped a thread of red encased in silver and golden light. He followed this thread through the writhing mass of hidden thoughts, untangling and untying it. He followed it around and around such that it seemed it would never come unraveled, never reveal its secrets to his probing mind. One end of the thread vanished into the dark mass beyond his reach. Here, the light was almost completely silver, with only the smallest shoots of gold running through it.

As he traveled back along the red thread retracing his metaphysical steps, he noticed that the silver light grew weaker, and the gold stronger as he moved away from the buried end. The thread seemed never ending; no matter how much he delved, this thread, different from the others, seemed always just a step ahead of him. He followed its twists and turns, carefully picking loose other dark threads as he did, watching them separate under his skilled guidance.

He pulled loose a particularly stubborn thread, managing to just expose the memory trapped beneath. The red thread ran under his fingers, encased in a light of almost pure gold now. He pushed his mind into the small gap he'd created, away from the path of the red, only to feel the barrier suddenly push back, sending him hurtling back into his own mind and physically throwing him to the floor.

As he lay there dazed and confused, it occurred to him why he was not able to find the end of the red thread. The thread was a part him, and so he was the end.

* * *

"_Professor, who's this?" She was sitting cross-legged on the rug before the fire in his office, well within his light of sight. Without him noticing, she'd opened the nearly forgotten cupboard holding those things which were most dear to him. _

_She was staring at a photograph of a a younger Snape sitting in a rocking chair, cradling a baby girl. The child was asleep just then, wrapped up snugly in picture-Snape's cloak. The very way picture-Snape held her so gently spoke wonders of his love for her. _

_The real Snape stood and made his way around the desk, a soft smile on his face. "That's you, Serenity. I have a few others, here." He reached into the closet, lifting the blanket to pull out a small book. _

_It made sense, in that way that dreams do, that the book contained pictures of her throughout her life. She flipped lovingly through every page, smiling and laughing when she saw herself and Draco, playing as infants, her at age eight or so with her prince, age ten with Harry Potter, experiencing the wonder of Diagon Alley for the first time. . ._

_And then she frowned, an uneasy feeling of wrongness creeping up on her. When she turned the pages back, most of them were blank. Only a few of those containing the professor remained. The others had vanished, as though they had never existed at all. _

* * *

SMACK!

"Ow!" Prince Diamond scowled and rubbed his head. Apparently, existing outside of time meant that the guardian of the Gates of Time could still hit him if she wanted to, even though he was already dead.

"What did I tell you? Stay out of her head! It's better that the time line be allowed to fix itself!" Pluto scolded him angrily, swinging her staff to knock him upside the head again.

Diamond ducked and glared at her. "You said you moved her to keep her from me. Well it worked because I'm dead! Now you're only hurting her. She deserves to know! She deserves to remember her own life!" This was a common argument; where neither was willing to concede on what was best for the princess.

"She remembers the life she was meant to have. Now leave her be, and stop trying to break the barrier of her false memories!" Pluto hissed. "If I catch you doing it again I'll send you so deep into the Fourth Dimension you'll never find your way out!"

Diamond did a very unprincely thing then, rolling his eyes at her. "You tried that already." He reminded her dryly. Indeed she had, but somehow he'd ended up back at the Time Gate anyway.

Pluto huffed, unable to argue the point.

* * *

His head still reeling, Snape forced himself to his feet when he heard the quick approach of footsteps. To his great surprise it was morning already, as evidenced by the early sunrise he could see out the window over her bed.

Professor McGonagall flung open the curtains around Serenity's bed. "Dolores has alerted the Ministry that Sailor Moon is here. The Minister and a few escorts are on their way. You know what will happen if she is recognized." Her voice was quiet and measured, but with an underlying sense of urgency that bespoke of hidden fear.

"Severus," she continued softly when he failed to answer, "She has to be hidden, and quickly."

Snape's gaze snapped to hers. "You mean there?"

"She does indeed, my boy." Dumbledore joined them then, a broken quill held in his hand. When Snape had settled Sailor Moon comfortably in his arms and held the quill between their clasped hands, Dumbledore bent close to the sleeping Serenity and murmured into her ear, "the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."

The portkey activated, taking Snape and Sailor Moon away from Hogwarts. Breathing a sigh of relief as they saw the Minister arrive at the castle gates with Lucius Malfoy in tow, the pair left to greet them.

* * *

I'm sorry! I really hope this chapter was worth the wait! Part of the reason this took so long was me trying to write decent imagery. If you all haven't given up on me for taking so long, I'd like to hear what you think I was trying to say.

Thank you to the Chapter Twenty reviewers cloverski9114, Empress-Hermione-Malfoy, Lawliet's Bride, Chicwa88 (just a filler? Sadness. . .), Tenshi-Chikyuu, SailorBoo, Lily Marie Wolfe, Alycee Lanet, Shara2007 (Thanks! I figured he couldn't be completely emotionless, hm? He wasn't where Lily was concerned, after all), and amaramichelle.


	22. An Inexplicable Trust

Chapter Twenty-Two

* * *

Snape stumbled slightly as he landed on the stoop at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Carefully shifting the now pajama-clad (wait, pajamas? Snape did a double take; yes, the strange outfit she'd been wearing before was now replaced by pink bunny pajamas. When had that happened?) Serenity, he opened the front door and slipped inside the bustling house.

Thankfully, Molly Weasley was waiting for him in the hall. "Ah, Severus, Albus told me you would be along. Here, could you just take her upstairs then?" Mrs. Weasley led the way up the stairs and into the room Ginny and Hermione had used that summer. Sirius exited a room on the third landing, pausing to poke his head into the room and survey the scene inside.

For a moment he was quiet, contemplating. "So that's the girl the Prophet's been trying to marry me off to? Well, at least she's pretty."

Snape's wand was out and pointed at Sirius's chest before he even had a chance to blink. "Try anything funny Black and the Dark Lord will be the least of your worries." He growled out, his eyes promising a very painful death.

Sirius barked a laugh and held up his hands in mock-surrender. "Touch a nerve did I, Snivellus?"

The argument might have escalated from there, but Arthur Weasley called up the stairs for Sirius's help with something, and the animagus slinked off. Snape lowered his wand with a snarl, before closing his eyes and forcing himself to reign in his temper.

"Would you like some tea?" Mrs. Weasley offered, for lack of anything else to say to ease the tension of the moment.

Snape nodded. "Thank you, Molly, that would be much appreciated." He hesitated by Serenity's bed, unwilling to leave her alone after Sirius's bout of utter lunacy. "Perhaps I should stay in here until she wakes up."

"Nonsense Severus. You look dead on your feet. Kreacher," called Mrs. Weasley. She really hated to leave the house elf in charge of anything, but Snape was right. Someone had to keep an eye on her. Doubtless the poor child would be confused when she woke. Kreacher gave Mrs. Weasley a dark look, muttering under his breath as he entered the room.

"Filthy blood traitors mucking up my Mistress's home. . ."

"Kreacher," said Mrs. Weasley again loudly to keep Snape from hearing the creature's words, "this girl is Serenity Riddle, and she needs to be looked after, do you hear me? Will you do it?"

Under normal circumstances, the house elf would have completely ignored anything Mrs. Weasley said to it. However, the name Serenity Riddle rang a bell in what remained of the old elf's mind and his head bobbed in a pleased nod. "Kreacher will care for little Riddle. Mistress was fond of the little Riddle. She would be pleased that Kreacher be tending to her."

Snape's eyebrow twitched. "You expect me to trust that thing with her?" His tone was dry, but his eyes never left the house elf.

"He won't harm her Severus, you know he can't." Mrs. Weasley pointed out. Defeated, Snape followed her from the room, sneaking one more glance back to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Taking no notice of their absence, Kreacher turned about where he stood, slowly surveying the dark space. "Little Riddle's room need be neat. Mistress would like her great-niece's room tidy, yes!" With this in mind, Kreacher hobbled from the room to fetch his much-neglected cleaning supplies.

Mop and dusting rag in hand Kreacher returned to the room, quietly pushing the door open. Just inside, he hesitated. There was a ghost standing beside her; Kreacher knew it was a ghost because it was transparent, but it wasn't like the other ghosts Kreacher had seen. This one looked more. . . human. He was regally dressed all in white, a prince perhaps, come to visit the little Riddle. He gazed upon her sleeping face, his expression sad, almost wistful. He reached out as though to touch her, his hand hovering millimeters above her skin. He leaned down as though he would kiss kiss her, then his eyes shot wide and he jerked back as though someone had yanked his collar from behind before he faded from sight.

Kreacher blinked his bulbous eyes, and set to work.

Usagi woke in a strange bed fitted with sheets that didn't feel like hers. The dark ceiling above wasn't hers either, and as she glanced about in her disorientation, she took in a dimly lit room with old furniture and peeling paint that _certainly_ looked nothing like her own bright, cheery room at home.

It was not until she sat up and took notice of the creature pushing a filthy mop around the floor that Usagi confirmed that she was not, in fact, at home. Given the situation, she did what any sane teenage girl would do. She screamed.

The creature jumped about ten feet before screaming too, whirling about in a fruitless attempt to locate the danger, holding his dripping mop like a weapon. Molly and Arthur Weasley burst into the room, Kreacher's mop catching Arthur behind the knees and sending him sprawling back against Sirius, which sent both toppling back down onto the landing.

The chaos attracted the attention of those downstairs, namely Snape and Alastor Moody (who had arrived minutes before). They hurried to the door of the kitchen just as Usagi bounded down the stairs, sprinting past. Moody shot a stunner at her, missing by mere inches as she wrenched the outside door open and bolted outside, Mrs. Black's portrait screaming behind her.

"Are you mad?" Snape shoved the old Auror aside and took off after her. "Serenity, wait!"

Out on the front lawn, beyond the wards and protections of the house, she stopped and slowly turned to face him. His words were spoken in a language she should not have understood, had not understood mere days before. The man in the black robe. . ._(Professor Snape_, something in her mind whispered) approached her cautiously, his eyes locked on hers. "Serenity, you have to come inside, it's not safe out here." He told her softly, holding out his hand to her.

For reasons she could not explain, she trusted him. She accepted his hand, and her dreams of him rushed back to her. She had known this man once. "Professor." She whispered.

He nodded, profound relief reflected in his eyes as he led her back to the protections of the house.

* * *

"I found her!" Mercury's excited cry came through the communicator, three exultant yells answering back. One of the officers gave her a funny look, and she darted away to the deck before speaking again. "I managed to pick up her communicator's signal. It was only there for a moment, but I can say for sure that she's in the UK."

At that, the other three scouts groaned.

"Great," grumbled Mars, "I'm in the States, you're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Venus is off in the Amazon, and Jupiter's still injured. How, exactly, are we supposed to track her down in the UK?" She whisper-yelled, mindful of the hikers she was following.

Venus answered wearily. "We'll have to wait until we all get back to Tokyo. There's nothing to be done until then. Mercury, see if you can determine where she was just before you picked up the signal. I want to know why you're having so much trouble locating her."

"Will do." Mercury answered, good mood sufficiently dampened by the implications of Venus' words. Whatever was blocking Sailor Moon's communicator couldn't possibly be good.

* * *

When they returned to the house, Moody approached them, eying her warily. "Dumbledore wants her questioned." Moody reminded Snape gruffly.

A deep scowl crossed the Potion Master's features, and he turned to Usagi. "Serenity," He began calmly, "do you trust me?"

Slowly, without really knowing why, she nodded. "Yes."

"Then come with me to the kitchen. We need to ask you a few questions." He led her by the arm, sitting her down at one of the benches along the sides of the table. Reaching into a hidden pocket of his robes, Snape withdrew a small bottle. "I brewed this potion myself. This is veritaserum. I do not believe you would lie, but it is a necessary precaution."

Usagi's face turned red as she thought of all the embarrassing things they could ask, such as whether or not she had kissed her boyfriend yet. "Do I have to?" Seeing his look, she sighed. Molly poured the tea, and Snape placed three drops into her cup. With a final glance at the man she barely remembered yet inexplicably trusted, she drank.

"What is your name?" Asked Moody gruffly.

There was silence for a moment, brows drawn together in confusion. "Usagi Tsukino. . . or Sailor Moon if you prefer."

Snape's sharp intake of breath did not go unnoticed, Moody's magical eye whirling to fix on him as he continued his questioning. "Does the name Riddle mean anything to you?"

Again, confusion. "No." She said.

"What about Harry Potter?" She'd grown up with the boy, after all.

"No."

"Do you know that you are a witch?" Moody's magical eye fixed on her firmly.

"I am not." She replied evenly. The others in the room turned to stare in disbelief. The Weasleys exchanged glances. Did they really have the right girl?

Snape intervened then. He had told Moody that she did not recall her life before her thirteenth year, but the Auror would not believe him. "Who is your father?"

"Kenji Tsukino." She responded, her voice carrying the typical flatness caused by the potion.

Moody grunted. If she did not remember her father, or Potter, or her very nature. . .

"Do you know who this is?" He jerked a gnarled thumb towards Snape. Slowly, her head turned to look at him.

"Professor Snape." She answered. Moody's eyebrow lifted.

"Where does he teach?"

"I don't know." She said, before looking back to Moody.

Snape interrupted again. "You said you are Sailor Moon. Who is she?"

There was a moment of silence so long that Snape started to think the potion had worn off. "Sailor Moon is the champion of love and justice."

Moody snorted and Snape glared at him. "Who is her enemy?"

"Sailor Moon fought and defeated Queen Beryl of the Negaverse."

Snape sucked in a breath sharply. He'd read about her in the course of his research. "The witch who led the attack against the Moon Kingdom?"

"Yes." She said. Snape looked pained. What kind of danger had she faced while away?

There was a flicker in her eyes. The potion would soon wear off.

"Are there more of these Sailors?" It was Arthur, sounding curious.

"Yes. Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter."

Arthur couldn't help it. "Earth doesn't get one?"

Usagi smiled. "Earth is represented by Tuxedo Mask."

Something about that smile bothered Snape, but whatever it was he forced it away. He turned to Moody. "Do you believe me now? If word of this were to reach the Dark Lord. . ." Moody nodded sharply, their conversation unnoticed by the others.

The potion had nearly worn off completely, and a worried expression was on her face. "The others! They're going to be worried about me!" She fumbled in her pocket, looking for her communicator. When she flipped it open she frowned, getting nothing but static. "What's wrong with this thing?"

Intrigued, Arthur leaned over to examine it. "Is this a muggle item? I've never seen anything like it."

Usagi stood, heading for the door. "I've never had a problem with this before. . ."

"Ah, it probably won't work in here at all." Said Arthur. "Magic tends to short out muggle objects."

"Muggle?" She questioned. The adults sighed. The situation, Snape thought, was rather like introducing a muggleborn to magic for the first time. In a way, he supposed, it was exactly that.

"Serenity, sit down. We need to talk." Snape shifted over to make room for her.

"I need to contact the others! They'll worry!" She protested.

"Serenity!" His voice was sharp. "You were kidnapped from school just before you turned thirteen. These friends of yours may have been involved." He hadn't intended to tell her this way, and her wide-eyed, tearful stare made him instantly regret it. The very idea shocked her. Slowly, she sank down beside him.

* * *

For five years there had been whispers of a reborn Lunarian who retained some of her power. Finally, the rumors were confirmed. News of the happenings at Hogwarts spread quickly through the forest, the descriptions of Sailor Moon reaching all ears. The centaurs, who had best retained their knowledge of the Lunar people, knew immediately that she was no ordinary Lunarian, for their ancestors had been told that only those of royal blood possessed the ability to take the form of Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon could only be their princess.

Most centaurs knew to keep this knowledge to themselves, but not all. One tongue carelessly wagged, and word reached the ears of prowling werewolves. The three young males ran from the forest, returning to their leader as quickly as their human forms allowed.

Fenrir Greyback was pleased with their report. He carried the knowledge to the Dark Lord that a Lunarian princess had been located. Whether or not it was the Dark Lord's missing child, however, he could not say. The issue was, in the end, irrelevant. Her parentage would not save her from his wrath. "All I ask is that when you have extracted all you need from her you give her to my pack, that we might extract vengeance for the curse upon our kind." His voice was gravely, a barely controlled growl embedded in his words.

The Dark Lord thought it over carefully before answering. "Consider your request granted if you bring the girl to me alive."

A twisted smile spread over Greyback's face. "As you wish, My Lord."

* * *

Yes, that's vague, and yes I will explain it. . . eventually. Have to keep some mysteries don't I? Haha. I think I rewrote this chapter about ten times. The next few are planned out though, so they should come out fairly quickly (I hope).

Thank you to the lovely reviewers of Chapter Twenty-One; SailorBoo (Ah! I don't wanna die! Then it would be really, really hard to update you know! I would not make a ghost as awesome as Diamond, sorry!) Chicwa88 (She is Serenity, but Pluto altered her memories to make her congruent with the other dimensions. Does that make more sense? I hope you didn't think this chapter was filler too!), cloverski9114 (Thank you! You're too kind. ^_^), Cat (Thanks! Yep, it took his own death for him to learn his lesson. So sad.), Lawliet's Bride (Glad you liked it. I keep meaning to ask you, who's Lawliet anyway?), Empress-Hermione-Malfoy, Lily Marie Wolfe, and Shara2007. You guys keep me writing and your reviews make my day.

To all of you who read without reviewing: I like putting in little mysteries for you guys. Please review and tell me what you think of them. They're no fun if they just confound everyone!


	23. Serious Black! sort of

Chapter Twenty-Three

* * *

Before you can run, you have to walk. Before you can walk, you have to crawl. Or at least, that was what Snape kept telling himself.

"English, please Serenity. I do not speak Japanese." He massaged his temples, sitting beside her at the kitchen table.

"My name is Usagi Tsukino. I was born in Japan! I have parents there!" She insisted, in English at least.

"I told you, Serenity. Memory modification is not a difficult task, be it your memories, or theirs." Snape repeated grimly.

Moody's patience was wearing thin. "Molly, give me your wand for a moment." Molly complied, holding out her wand. Moody took it, placing it in Usagi's hand. "Now, it won't be as good as your own wand, and you're at the level of a second year, but you should be able to perform one simple spell." He grunted, drawing his own wand. "Watch me. Wingardium Leviosa." He demonstrated the levitation charm by lifting a mug from the table.

Usagi stared. She reached out, checking for hidden threads or other things that would keep the mug afloat. Finding none, she let out a small "eep." Moody did not look impressed.

"Go on girl." He snapped.

She moved her hand wildly, mumbling the words all wrong. Snape moved to her side, his hand covering hers. "It's like this." He guided her hand through the motions, repeating the spell until she could produce the correct wand movements and pronunciations on her own.

She cleared her throat nervously. "Wingardium Leviosa!" This time the wand let out a loud bang, spitting out a cloud of foul purple smoke. Usagi coughed, waving it away from her face. "What the?"

"Here, try mine." On a whim, Snape took Molly's wand away and placed his own wand in her hand. There was a moment's hesitation on her part before she lifted his wand and repeated the spell. This time, her cup of tea floated, hovering a few inches before she squeaked and lost her concentration, the mug falling to the table and shattering.

"You see?" Said Snape, reclaiming his wand and waving it to clean up the mess. Usagi nodded slowly, eyes huge.

"Now that we've got that settled," barked Moody, "We need to know just how much these parents and friends in Japan know." His magical eye swiveled to fix on her, and Usagi shivered.

"And we shall." Snape said. "I'll need Polyjuice Potion. We have about a month before Christmas break, which leaves me plenty of time to brew it. Once it's ready, the two of us will go to Japan." He turned his eyes on her. "Until then, Serenity, you must stay here at headquarters. Do you understand?"

"They'll all worry about me." She said softly. With all that had happened and the memories she didn't have, she could understand their concern, but that didn't mean she liked it.

"Let them worry, then." Said Moody gruffly. "The Dark Lord cannot be allowed to locate you. Contact right now is too dangerous."

Slowly, Usagi nodded. Snape placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Christmas break is only a few days away. I will take you to Japan then, and we will find out what happened to you."

Upon finishing his tea Snape had to return to Hogwarts, lest his absence be noted. Now that she had calmed down, Usagi was extremely curious about this world of magic that had once belonged to her. Molly was patient, glad to have someone to keep her company. Moody left within the hour, muttering something about guard duties that Usagi failed to pay attention to.

"You can really fly on a broom?" Her wide blue eyes stared up at Molly, amazed.

"That you can dear. You took lessons in your first year with my Ronald, I believe." Said Molly with a smile. Sirius' head popped through the kitchen door.

"Someone say something about broomsticks?" He asked, his eyes lit up with an almost childish excitement. He plopped onto the bench next to Usagi, wrapping an arm about her shoulders. "Wonderful things, broomsticks. See, when I was at Hogwarts. . . "

Molly shook her head, leaving Sirius to explain Quidditch to the wide-eyed girl. She caught on surprisingly quickly, and was incredibly disappointed when he told her that they couldn't go outside to fly. Sirius' disappointment matched her own.

"So, if there are wizards, does that mean there are dragons and and fairies and things too?" Asked Usagi a couple days later, her eyes going starry with thoughts of her muggle fairy tales.

Sirius snorted. "Of course there are! Come upstairs with me, there might be a book in the library or something with some pictures." He bounded from the room with Usagi on his tail. He led her upstairs and into a recently-cleaned room filled with old volumes. He returned with a small stack, opening the first with a triumphant grin. Usagi gasped, staring in wonder at the moving black-and-white photograph of a dragon.

"Magic does this?" She asked, touching the photo reverently. The dragon roared silently and shot white flames towards the camera. She withdrew her hand, giggling.

Sirius looked immensely pleased with himself. "Yup. Portraits are even better. They can talk, you know." Her wide-eyed look made him laugh again.

"Are there any here I could talk to?" She asked. He snorted in response.

"None worth talking to, I'd say." He replied.

Usagi looked crestfallen. "Why's that?" She asked.

Sirius was silent for so long that she thought he wouldn't answer. "Well, a lot of them had to be removed because this is headquarters, but especially with you staying here. . ." At her blank look, he sighed. "Come with me," he beckoned her to follow him as he left the room. "There is something you should see."

Putting the book she'd been holding down, she followed him from the room. They stopped outside a door she had never entered, and Sirius studied her for a moment. "Snape and the other told you that the Dark Lord is after you, but they haven't told you why. I don't like it." He opened the door, revealing a family tree that spread across the room. Usagi moved forward to examine it curiously. There were several burn marks on the tree, names that had been burned off. Sirius watched her trace the lines with her eyes.

"Most of the portraits that are in this house feature people from the wall, and not the good ones." He snorted. "The ones that have been burned off, those were the goods ones. Disowned, they were." He jabbed his finger at a burned spot near the bottom. "That's me there." A scowl marred his face as he traced the line back to his grandparents, and from there back down to his Uncle Cygnus and down to his daughter, Bellatrix. He heaved a sigh as he pointed out the two lines connected to her name.

"There's Rodolphus Lestrange, her husband. See the gold line? The other one's black because it wasn't a marriage." He indicated the black line joining Bellatrix's name to Thomas M. Riddle (Voldemort). "This is the reason most of the portraits are hidden now." He told her, "Bellatrix is fiercely loyal to him, and many of the portraits are loyal to her." His scowl deepened. "So very loyal, in fact, that the bunch of prats don't even care that she'd have her own daughter killed to please him." His eyes fixed on Usagi's face, ensuring she was paying close attention before he spoke.

"They don't care that she would kill you." His finger traced the black line down to a name written in pink. _Serenity V. Riddle (Usagi Tsukino)_.

The gravity in his voice and his gaze stopped her short. In the time that she'd been there, she hadn't fully believed what she'd been told; it was all simply too incredible. There, in that room however, she knew that there could be no more doubt. Tears came to her eyes as reality hit her. Kenji and Ikuko Tsukino were not her parents. Her mother was a dark witch and her father a dark wizard, both so obsessed with power that they would kill her to obtain it. Sobbing the cry of the heartbroken, she threw herself into her cousin's arms.

Sirius, unused to handling crying girls, patted her back awkwardly as he let her cry on his shoulder. "There now, it's going to be alright. The Order of the Phoenix won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

* * *

It took almost a week for the scouts to assemble back in Tokyo. Well, all but one. Sailor Moon was still missing, and none of them had heard from her. Most worrisome, however, was the strange behavior of her parents. It seemed as though as time past, the Tsukinos forgot that they had a living daughter. When the girls called on them, the family seemed surprised to see them. Once, Makoto spotted Mrs. Tsukino staring at a (typically horrible) report card with Usagi's name on it in confusion, as though she wasn't quite sure why it was there.

Slowly, it began to affect them too. Rei caught herself referring to them as the "four Sailor Scouts" several times, and Ami found herself wondering who usually occupied that empty seat next to her in class. Memories of Usagi seemed to be slipping away, and none of them could quite explain why. Someone watching over them could, however, and she was not in the least bit pleased.

"No! Damn. Damn damn damn!" Pluto swore as the spells she'd woven around Usagi's family began to wear off.

Diamond, leaning comfortably back against the time gate, smirked. "Technical difficulties there, Pluto?" She had used spells similar to those she used to fit Small Lady into Sailor Moon's family. The spells worked well enough so long as the subject was present, but long absences caused them to break down, making the host family and friends forget.

"Shut up!" The irate Time Guardian snapped, chucking a purple high-heeled boot at his smug head. She was still peeved at him for his last foray into the dimension, where he would have kissed the princess had she not caught him and dragged him back. Prince Diamond ducked, smirking, and turned his attention back to the passage of time in his favorite dimension.

* * *

_She was paralyzed, helpless. The boy she'd seen before in her dreams, the boy with the black hair, glasses, and kind smile, was staring at her in horror. They were in a dank, dark room. Another boy, this one older but not quite solid, was laughing a horrible laugh. _

_She became aware of an icy weight on her wrist as the semi-transparent body pressed itself to her, murmuring words she could not hear. The younger boy's expression was first one of shock, then of fear as she attacked him, hot, bright lights shooting from her wand, which was moving against her will._

_The dream grew hazy. She was frozen again, the boy younger and the room different, with a large mirror in the center. The boy was prone, and a dark mist was flying at him, through him, to her. _

_Fire burned her bones while ice froze her lungs. Hatred, anger, death and darkness that was not her own swelled within her. The laughter sounded again, high-pitched and evil. _

"_Die." _

Serenity woke up screaming. Siruis, the only one in the house that night, came bounding into the room as fast as his legs could carry him. "What? What? What? Where's the fire?" He held a wand out in front of him, his eyes alert and wary.

Sirius grunted when a tiny sobbing blond blur threw herself into his arms. "I had a bad dream. Real bad. There was a man and he was evil and he was threatening this boy and trying to make me kill him and please don't leave me alone!"

Sirius didn't speak hysterical teenager well, but he managed to work out that she needed someone to comfort her. He hugged her awkwardly for a moment, then decided that Padfoot (whom Serenity had met two days prior) might be more suited to the task. He shifted in her grasp and whined softly. Serenity hugged him more tightly and scratched the fur on his neck. He'd read somewhere once that dogs have a calming effect on people. It certainly seemed to be the case with her, for after a few minutes of scratching and petting him, she seemed relaxed enough to sleep again.

When Padfoot moved to jump off the bed, Serenity clung to him. "Please Padfoot, I don't want to sleep alone. I'm still scared." One look into those wide blue eyes, wet with tears, and he couldn't say no. Giving a small huff Padfoot flopped down on top of the covers, stretching the length of the bed. Serenity tucked her blankets close around her and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his fur. Comforted by his warm presence, she slept soundly.

* * *

The next morning she was still shivery, unsettled by the dream. Headquarters was oddly quiet; the usual hustle and bustle of the house was absent. As Sirius poked listlessly at the soggy gray mush Kreacher called breakfast, a sudden inspiration hit him.

"Hey Serena," (Serenity was much too long, and Usagi simply too difficult to pronounce, hence the nickname.) "What do you say we go out for a day? Go check out London, just you and me? I bet you've never been around there, have you?" Sirius grinned, inordinately pleased by his own brilliant solution to his boredom.

Serenity blinked. "Didn't Professor Snape say I should stay here?"

Sirius snorted derisively. "Do you always do what your professors tell you? Look, I'll go as Padfoot and no one will be any the wiser. We'll even stick to muggle London. What could possibly go wrong?"

A huge grin broke across her face. "Let me go get ready." She abandoned her breakfast and ran upstairs to get dressed in muggle clothes.

Sirius laughed and clapped his hands. "That's my girl!" He shifted into Padfoot and waited by the front door for her.

Serenity stuck her head out the front door, carefully checking to make sure nobody was looking before stepping off the stoop with Padfoot behind her. She'd donned a borrowed sweater, pants, and coat, thus blending in easily with the muggles on the street. Padfoot led the way past rundown houses and out of the muggle neighborhood towards downtown London.

The streets and shops were decorated for Christmastime, and though they were bereft of any money of either the muggle or wizard variety, the pair of them stared in wonder at the lights and decorations. Sure, they didn't hold a candle to Hogwarts at Christmastime, but they were still impressive in their own right.

"Oh!" Serenity stopped, almost pressing her nose to the glass as she stared at the hottest new item in gaming. "The Playstation!" She turned to Padfoot excitedly, "It's the best system yet. I asked my mom for one for. . . oh." Her face fell, and tears sprang to her eyes. Acting quickly, Padfoot butted her away from the store window, all but shoving her down the street. They stopped in front of a different toy store, this one with an elaborate window display set up, complete with Christmas-themed balls that moved along a complex track that disappeared within the shop. Serenity and Sirius stood and watched the balls travel, transfixed.

"Ma'am? Excuse me, miss, but that dog has to be on a leash." A mounted police office tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped, turning to face him.

"I, oh-What?" She gave the man an innocent wide-eyed stare.

The officer frowned, unmoved. "Your dog needs to be on a leash."

Serenity glanced down at Padfoot, who seemed as clueless as she was. Thinking fast, he gave a sharp bark and nipped at the horse's legs before turning and high-tailing it out of there, Serenity hot on his heels. The horse reared, the officer struggling to get him under control. Red-faced, the officer yelled after them as they took off down the street.

They ran all the way to a dog park before collapsing behind a bare tree, quite out of breath. They looked at each other and Serenity laughed, Padfoot making a noise that suspiciously resembled a doggy laugh. She reached over and scratched behind his ears. "You're some dog, Padfoot. You're some dog." He licked her face playfully, causing her to laugh harder as she fell over. "Padfoot!"

"Uh, hello." A teen appeared from around the tree, a large leashless dog trotting at his side. Padfoot, playing the part of the dog he was pretending to be, trotted up to the pretty female dog and gave her a sniff. The female eyed him, then gave him a return sniff, apparently approving of (or at least tolerating) his presence.

The teen smile awkwardly. "Looks like our dogs like each other. My name's uh, Dylan. You uh, want to grab a cup of tea?"

Serenity perked up. "I'm Us- Serenity, and this is Padfoot. Yeah, tea sounds great!"

They headed for the edge of the dog park, where Dylan stopped to leash his dog. "Don't you have a leash for yours?" Serenity blinked, then shook her head.

Dylan dug into his bag, pulling out a spare. "Queen, " he indicated the mixed breed at his side, "has a tendency to break her leashes, so I always carry an extra. Here, you'll get a hard time if you don't leash him."

Serenity thanked him and took it, working it into an awkward sort of choke collar (much to Padfoot's displeasure). Dylan led her to a small cafe across from a dingy little pub that Serenity looked right over top of twice before finally noticing. "The Leaky Cauldron." She mused. They couldn't go inside the cafe because of the dogs, so Dylan fetched two cups of Earl Grey tea for them and some warm water for the dogs, which they lapped up greedily.

Dylan had only just settled himself down with his tea when he suddenly sprang from his seat, grabbed Queen's leash, and marched off. Queen strained towards her water dish for a moment, then whatever had affected him seemed to get to her too, and she too turned and hurried away, leaving Serenity staring after them, perplexed.

Padfoot growled as a cold hand clamped down on Serenity's shoulder, and a voice laced with frigid fury ground out, "what in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"

* * *

Well well, so it seems that having a busy schedule again has gotten the creative juices flowing. Either that or it was the two hours my boss made me spend folding brochures. . . anyway! I wanted to use this chapter to build a familial relationship between Serenity and Sirius, and of course to cause some trouble. Hehehe.

Thank you to the Chapter Twenty-Two reviewers Sakura Lisel (That will be explained later, promise), Lily Marie Wolfe, SailorBoo (Thanks for the laugh!), Empress-Hermione-Malfoy, Tenshi-Chikyuu, cloverski9114, Lawliet's Bride, and Shara2007.


	24. Tales of the Past

GAH! I am so so so so so so so sorry everyone! I've been working two summer jobs for the last few weeks, and was hardly on my laptop at all, so imagine my surprise when I looked at my status page and realized I hadn't updated in a month! This chapter has been sitting mostly complete on my laptop for almost three weeks now. I'm sorry!

Chapter Twenty-Four

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Although he lamented the necessity, Snape had to travel to Diagon Alley to obtain the Boomslang skin for his Polyjuice Potion, as his own stock had run low. He'd had to alert Dolores Umbridge before his departure (much to his annoyance). His efforts to stay on her good side seemed to have paid off, however. She'd given Filius a much harder time of it when he'd had to leave to attend to family matters.

It was bitterly cold when he finally left Diagon Alley, seeking a warming drink in the Leaky Cauldron before he flooed back to his office. He settled down with a cup of tea in hand in a booth overlooking the muggle London street. He peeled off his black gloves and loosened his charmed traveling cloak, always mindful of the package tucked inside. Glancing idly out of the window, he sat back to enjoy his tea.

He'd taken only a small sip before he dropped the cup and bolted for the door, forgetting to even grab his gloves on the way. The two witches seated at the table facing his booth looked at each other, looked down at their own cups, and surreptitiously pushed them away.

A sharp wave of his wand (concealed by his cloak) sent the muggle boy and his dog away. Black- for he would know that form in an instant- had the nerve to growl at him. Glaring daggers at the dog, he seized Serenity by the shoulder. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing, girl? Are you daft?" He hissed, pulling her from her chair.

Black attempted an escape, but Snape was faster, seizing him by the scruff of his neck and dragging the pair of them towards a side alley. "And you, you bloody nonce!" Black barked a protest, but Snape only yanked harder to shut him up. "I ought to leave you here, let the dog-catchers have you." He threatened as he pulled them out of sight of the street.

"Professor wait!" Serenity tried to protest, but one furious look silenced her.

Keeping tight hold of them both Snape spun in place, landing on the doorstep of Number Twelve. He opened the door and shoved a barking Padfoot inside. "I'll deal with you later." He said, pulling Serenity tightly against him as he spun once more, this time landing just out of sight of Hogwarts.

Her stomach rolling, Serenity fell to her knees and heaved, crying in her misery and distress. Snape held her hair back, lecturing her all the while. "You bloody little fool. What part of 'you must not be seen' did you not understand? What if your relatives spotted you? Or, Merlin forbid, the werewolves hunting you? Do you not care for your own safety at all?"

When she'd finished being sick-two apparations in a row were quite rough on those unused to the trip- he cleaned her off with a wave of his wand, only then noticing her shivers. It was considerably colder this far north, with the wind howling as it was just then, and her borrowed muggle coat couldn't hope to compete. Scowling, he shrugged off his cloak and wrapped it around her, the warming charms quickly taking effect.

She stared resolutely at the snow-covered ground, sniffling and sulking. Had she been in a better presence of mind, she might have questioned his warnings. Werewolves?

Begrudgingly he pulled her close. "Black has more than proven that he can't be trusted with you. I'll have to keep you with me, in Hogwarts. You will have to stay hidden, however, for here it is even more important that you avoid being seen."

She sniffled. "We weren't-"

"Hush." Snspe commanded sharply. He tapped the top of her head with his wand and she winced as something like the sensation of an egg cracking over her head ran down her body. "A Disillusionment Charm to help disguise you. Let's go, quickly now."

Keeping a firm but discreet grip on her arm, Snape led her through the gates and up to the castle. Once inside he walked briskly through the Entrance Hall and down a side corridor, towards a lesser-used entrance to the dungeons. He froze when he heard a familiar high-pitched voice up ahead and quickly backtracked, pulling her along behind him. He opened a door without knocking, pushing her inside.

"Firenze!" He hissed urgently before addressing her. "Stay here until I come back for you. You will be safe with him." He was gone then, shutting the door silently to glide back down the hall to greet the High Inquisitor, Dolores Umbridge.

Bewildered by his behavior, it took Serenity a moment to notice the room she was in. It was like being in a forest in summertime, with plush grass, trees, open skies, and even a slight breeze. Warm now, she shucked the over-sized cloak and coat, laying them over a thick tree branch. She approached one of the trees, bending near a flowering vine that climbed its bark to smell the delicate scent of its white flowers.

"Welcome, princess." Startled, Serenity jumped and turned about to face a rather handsome centaur. His smile and blue eyes were welcoming, and he bowed his white-blond head in respect. "I have been waiting for you."

"I-um, do I know you?" She asked hesitantly. There were so many people she was supposed to remember but did not. He smiled warmly.

"We met once, but you would not remember it." His gaze moved to the sunny sky reflected on his ceiling and a dark scowl crossed his face. "You were injured at the time, nearly unconscious. It was, I am told, the first time your father tried to kill you."

Her knees weak, she sank to the ground. "Tell me." She pleaded, the need for understanding overwhelming.

Firenze drew in a slow breath. "This tale is deeper and far more complex than I think even Severus Snape realizes. By the very act of your birth, you have inherited centuries-old allies and enemies, those who vow to serve you and those who swear to see you dead." He waved his hand, the sky above them turning dark, the many stars clearly visible. The Moon was full and bright in this projection of evening.

"The centaurs saw the return of the guardians of the Silver Millennium written in the movements of the heavens. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Moon . . .all rejoiced in the rebirth of their princesses. We centaurs saw this, but we told no other race." As he spoke, each planet seemed to glow, and Serenity felt that she could feel their happiness.

She hadn't realized that he'd fallen silent until he began to speak again, his tone somber. "Through the centuries that have passed since the Moon Kingdom fell, the wizards have tried to forget about the people who lived there, the people who protected them until the very moment of their betrayal." Dark shadows spread across the surface of the Moon , and Serenity watched in horrified fascination as the very surface seemed to stain a bloody red.

"The other races, however, have not been so foolish." The dark sky vanished, replaced then by several beings, many of whom Serenity could not name. The Moon glowed bright once more in the midst of the images. "There are many legends that live on about the people of the Moon and their relations with those of Earth. It is said, for instance, that the people of the heavens, the Moon and the other planets, taught the centaurs all they know about reading the skies."

He gave her a warm smile as the image-centaur bowed before taking his place by the Moon. "Wherever you go princess, you will find an ally amongst my people. But there are other races you need to be aware of, races that will aid you, and races that will try to destroy you."

Seven figures stepped forward, and Firenze explained each one, along with their patron planet. "Mercury was long served by the elves, until- "He cut off abruptly, sending the elf-shadow a dark glare as it vanished. Clearing his throat, he moved on to the next being.

"Venus, which has long stood for love, is served by the veela, who will gladly aid you." The veela-shadow winked and blew her a kiss before taking its place by the bright morning star that was Venus.

"The goblins, who serve Mars, tend to be more skeptical, and will not know you as quickly as I did. However, should you prove yourself worthy of their trust, they will gladly fight by your side." The goblin-shadow eyed her warily, but gave a formal bow and took its place beside Mars.

"The giants serve Jupiter, the largest planet." His expression was one of distaste, though he tried to hide it. "They are not the most intelligent creatures, and it is unlikely that they will honor their ancient alliance." Accordingly, the giant-shadow didn't budge.

"Saturn is, perhaps, the most disturbing. Using methods no centaur ever cared to learn, the people of Saturn won the allegiance of the dementors." The dementor-shadow floated close, and Serenity shivered, pressing close to Firenze's warmth. He banished it with a wave of his hand. "Without a member of Saturn's royalty to control them, they will continue to serve your father, working against the light."

"Uranus is served by the dwarves. Unfortunately, legend says that they never believed that their patron planet bowed to the will of the Moon Queen, and so they will not help you without the direct intervention of their ruler." The dwarf-shadow snubbed them, muttering something about "never touching that one."

"The last of your potential allies are the merpeople. They serve Neptune, and will always aid you where they can, so you need never fear the water." The mer-shadow bowed, swimming off to join its own planet, which could not be seen by her naked eye. Pluto was never mentioned, and she didn't ask why. As it was, the other three outer planets' allies seemed pointless enough. There wasn't a Sailor Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune. Was there?

"There are also two other races you should be wary of." Two more shadow figures, one humanoid and one wolfish, appeared. "The Vampire and the Werewolf have far more complicated relations with the Moon. The vampries are cursed beings. The very first were human, once. They coveted the power of the Moon's people, and tried to steal it with their magic. The two powers blended badly, turning them into the creatures they are today. They need the Moon's light and the lifeblood of mortals to live." Serenity sa this play out before her eyes, saw the greedy humans try to draw the Moon's power into themselves, and be overcome by it.

"Despite this beginning, many of them will aid you if you ask. They owe their strength to your people, and they recognize that." He said, and the Vampire took its place by the Moon.

"Of all the ancient connections bequeathed to you, perhaps the most dangerous is that of the werewolf." The shadow-wolf howled, turning its glowing yellow eyes on her. A shiver ran down her spine despite the warm air in the room.

"Legend says that long ago certain wizards gained the ability to transform themselves into animals. Today, these beings are called animagi. An animagus could once be any creature; cat, dog, horse, stag, lizard, even wolf." As he spoke he waved his hand, and for a brief moment each creature appeared amongst the dark trees, then was gone.

"That was a time when the people of the Moon traveled freely to the new races of Earth, helping and guiding them. Some nights the Queen herself would descend to offer advice to the people. On one such night, a wolf animagus, hungry for power, spotted her walking through the woods alone." Serenity saw the form of the ancient Queen, trailed by a great hulking wolf. She gasped in fear, longing to cry out, to warn her, yet knowing she could not.

"The wolf's heart was dark, as dark as the Moonless sky. He attacked the Queen, mortally wounding her. Too weak to fight him without the light of the Moon to give her power, she did the only thing she could. She cursed him." The centaur's voice was grave as they watched the scene play out. The Queen fell, the wolf looming over her.

"She removed from him much of his power. The Wolf, and all his children, would never again be able to shift to their animal forms as they pleased. Instead, they would be ruled by the Moon, by the essence of the very being they sought to destroy. They would be kept from their second forms on all nights but those of the full Moon, the nights when any Earth-bound royalty could defend herself." They saw the Queen raise her hands, the wolf forced back and into the form of a man. He howled his anguish as the Queen stilled. Serenity cried, and Firenze placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"From that day on, the Werewolves were ostracized. They were no longer animagi; they were something to be feared. For in allowing that transformation to occur so infrequently, the Queen deprived the Werewolves of their senses in their other form. They became nothing more than savage beasts." The pack seemed to surround them now, all howling, snarling, hungry for her blood. When Serenity thought she could take no more, when she opened her mouth to scream, the room silenced.

"Your ancestors were not cruel women." Firenze said softly. "The next Queen took pity on the Werewolves, for she could see that not all would be so evil as the one who dared to attack her mother. She eased their curse as best she could. The curse would be broken, she said, on the day that a Werewolf and a member of the Moon's royal family called each other friend." The pack was gone, replaced by the figure of a single man, hidden in the shadows. For just a moment, she saw his saddened eyes, and then he too, was gone.

Firenze took a calming breath. "Once, the people of the Moon protected the humans, wizard and muggle alike. Magic was not hidden in those days, for there was no need. Then, the violence against the Moon people increased, with incidents such as those with the Werewolves, the Dwarves, and those humans with black hearts, both magical and not. The Moon's people withdrew from Earth, watching from afar. Without their constant protection, the humans experienced the problems from which their guardians had shielded them. Those without magic grew suspicious of those who possessed it, and persecuted them for it." The scene played out before them, heartbreaking in its futility.

"The wizards grew angry. They blamed the Moon Kingdom for these attacks, and led by the Slytherin witch Queen Beryl, they sought to destroy the Moon Kingdom." Serenity saw that oh-so familiar face, the evil Queen who had nearly destroyed her and her friends, and shivered. Firenze's gaze moved to focus on her, and the scenes faded. "Beryl had her own agenda, of course. She knew of the great power the Moon's royals possessed, and she desired it for her own. It is this same power that places you in terrible danger now. Your father wants it, and he will stop at nothing to take it from you. That night in the forest was his first attempt. Doubtless, there have been others, and still more will come."

The centaur knelt and pulled her chin up so that their blue eyes met. "All that Severus Snape does for you he does to keep you safe. You must do as you are told or all will be lost." He broke his gaze from her, peering up at the reflection of the night sky overhead. "While the Chosen One could win this war without you, the price of victory would be too high for all."

The door slammed open, the spell broken. Harry Potter stood before them, breathing hard as though he had just run a great distance to get there. He held in his hand an piece of parchment, clenched in his sweaty palm. His eyes fell to it, seeing the two names by the dots in the room. One he had expected when he settled on his bed to study the map a few minutes before. The other, he had never thought he would ever see on the Maurader's Map, never thought he would ever see anywhere again.

_Serenity V__oldemort Riddle_.

Harry Potter knew a lot about the Maurader's Map, but above all he knew that the map never lied.

* * *

I really hope you guys haven't abandoned me since I've been so slow to update. I'm sorry!

Thank you to the Chapter Twenty-Three reviewers bigfan, Tenshi-Chikyuu, Empress-Hermione-Malfoy, SailorBoo, Alycee Lanet, wow, Lawliet's Bride (I hope you and your dad are alright now, sorry I didn't help with the keeping occupied part! So sorry!), LoveXforever98, jenessa, Chicwa88, and BendyOStraw.


	25. The Ones She Left Behind

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry! Inspiration kind of ran away for awhile. Well, OK, so not away, but it wasn't giving me anything relevant. My summer was so boring it didn't give me much to work with at all. . .though now, apparently if I stay awake during Physics, my wandering brain gives me lots of ideas. Most of them aren't compatible though, so this chapter wound up being re-written about twenty times.

I apologize in advance for creeper-like tendencies of certain characters, and the random tangents of others that have nothing to do with anything except to ease up the emo-ness.

Chapter Twenty-Five

* * *

The map never lies.

Lupin had told him that, back in his third year. After seeing Pettigrew's name on it (how did Fred and George possess the map for so many years and never notice, anyway?) Harry took this statement as an absolute truth. Hence, his surprise and utter delight at seeing _her_ name written there.

He crossed the room in a few short strides, pulling her into his embrace before she could react. He didn't even care that tears were pouring down his face as he held her close, determined never to lose her again. "Serenity, Serenity I was so afraid for you. You were hurt so badly, then this man I never believed existed took you and vanished. I thought I'd never see you again! I thought you were dead!"

Serenity had gone stiff in the stranger's arms. Her mouth moved soundlessly, a bright flush spreading over her cheeks before she shoved the boy away, darting to the other side of the room. "I don't know you!" She yelped, "get off me!"

Caught off balance Harry stumbled, landing on his backside in the soft grass. Concerned, Firenze stepped forward to help him up, before turning and placing a calming hand on her shoulder. "Peace, princess. This is Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who Lived."

The pair stared at each other, blue eyes meeting green. Serenity shook her head. Harry struggled to his feet, hand outstretched. "Please Serenity, don't you remember? Serenity Potter, that's who you were, once. My cousin, my best friend."

_She lay in the grass, crying. The other girls were being mean again, and her prince wasn't answering her call. A pair of ratty shoes walked into her line of sight, and a palm covered by a too-large t-shirt extended towards her. "Get up Serenity, it's alright. You can play with me. We'll go over there where Dudley can't see us." Brilliant green eyes smiled at her as his small hand took hers. His face remained shadowed. _

As quickly as the memory came, it left. She knew him, and yet she did not. Her head shook frantically and she turned her back on him. "I don't know you. . .or, yes, maybe I. . .I don't know!" She clutched her head, a deep ache spreading through it as she tried so hard to remember.

The door opened, Snape slipping inside. "I apologize for my abruptness Serenity- Potter!" He cut off his greeting, glaring daggers at the boy and cursing his luck. "What are you doing in here?"

Harry was shaking, staring from one to the other. "You knew?" His voice started as a whisper, but rapidly rose with his anger. "You knew she'd come back, and you never bothered to tell me? How long has it been? How long have you been keeping this from me? You, and Dumbledore? You keep everything from me!"

"Be QUIET Potter-" Snape took a threatening step towards him.

"How long?" Harry demanded.

"Potter, you will show me some respect-"

"How long _sir_?" He demanded impatiently.

Snape glared. "Long enough Potter. The Order knows where she has been, and we're taking care of it." The answer, designed to make any reasonable person back off, only served to infuriate Harry further.

"The Order! Always the Order! The Order never tells me anything! Not one bloody person thought to let me know that my best friend returned, but oh, they could tell YOU! I was the one who took care of her for ten years when you lot saw fit to lie and abandon her! I blamed myself when she was taken, and so did Ginny, then you don't even have the decency to tell us she's alive?" Harry was absolutely raging. How could they do this to him? More importantly, to Ginny?

Snape's face, meanwhile, was turning an awful blotchy red that didn't bode well for Harry. "If you think I did any of those things by choice Potter-"

Serenity was getting anxious. Their fight was upsetting her, and even if the humans didn't notice, the centaur did. "Severus Snape, please." Firenze stepped between them, looking from one to the other. "What's done is done. The important thing now is keeping her safe." He turned his gaze to Harry. "You of all people, Harry Potter, should understand the danger. I can see that you are upset, and there is much you should have been, and will be, told."

Serenity breathed a sigh of relief, and Firenze smiled, motioning to the grass. "Take a seat Harry Potter. I will tell you all I know." Snape started to protest, but Firenze waved him to silence. "Attend to your class, Severus Snape. I will keep an eye on them."

Snape looked from one to the other, lips pursed and eyes narrowed. Finally he turn and swept from t he room, his cloak billowing behind him. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white, and it was only when he reached out to open the door to his quarters that he noticed the red crescents his nails had dug into his palm. Slamming the door behind himself he stopped, leaning against it with his eyes closed. Now, even now she preferred Potter's company. She preferred Harry as Lily had preferred James.

No. He wouldn't think of that now. Eyes snapping open he made his way to a certain cabinet in his office, kneeling beside it to withdraw a little blanket, covered with soot, and a photo, the edges long worn. Lucius had taken it, all those years ago at Malfoy Manor. Back before that Halloween.

The corner of his lips quirked in a smile. No, this wasn't like Lily and James at all. Here, he had the advantage. Serenity was bound to him in a way that Potter could never hope to match. Her magic, the core of her very being, was his.

* * *

The four scouts and Mamoru met at Makoto's house for dinner that evening. Makoto, Ami, and Rei were in the kitchen (Mamoru and Minako had been unequivocally banned from Makoto's kitchen after Mamoru broke her favorite pot and Minako nearly set off the fire alarm) when Ami's supercomputer began to beep loudly. Setting aside a mixing bowl, Ami pulled it from her bag.

"I wonder. . .OH!" She stared in surprise at the fifth communicator registering on her screen. Fifth . . Fifth?

_Sailor Moon_

"Everyone!" Ami's startled cry brought them all running, Mina nearly tripping over Rei in her haste.

"Sailor Moon!"

"Sailor Who?" Mamoru blinked in confusion. "Who is?. . ."

_Usa-chan_

Horrified faces confirmed what each of them felt. It was as though a veil had lifted from their minds, and their leader's face appeared before them again. Mamoru felt heat suffuse his cheeks. Only the previous week he'd been on a lovely date with a girl from one of his classes.

"According to my computer, she's somewhere in England, perhaps in London?" Ami looked confused. It was almost as though she'd simply appeared from nowhere, which wasn't possible.

"We have to go then, right now!" Urged Minako.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Makoto already had her transformation pen in hand.

"We're going to have to fly." Said Ami after a moment. "A Sailor Teleport will be impossible." She glanced meaningfully at Mamoru and he sighed.

"I'll start looking for tickets."

In fact, it didn't take him very long to find the five tickets they needed. Within a few hours of convincing their families that they were taking a short vacation to a mountain retreat, the four scouts and Mamoru were on a flight to Europe.

They were well on their way to Paris (where they would switch flights to London) when Ami suddenly let out a soft "Oh!" Rei and Minako, seated on either side of her, turned to look at her expectantly. Ami held out her supercomputer to them. "She just. . .I only blinked and she was hundreds of miles north of her original location. I don't. . .well I just don't know what happened." Her voice shook. Usagi could not teleport on her own.

"Do you think she's with someone? Do you think it's a new enemy?" Asked Minako in a hushed voice. "Maybe that youma did something to us when it transported us around to make us forget. Maybe she's still with it now!" Minako's eyes had widened in horror, and a glance at the others told her they were having similar thoughts.

They watched the screen anxiously, and their fears only seemed to be confirmed when Usagi abruptly vanished again. The already too-long flight plan seemed to take an eternity after that, and when they finally landed in London they almost pushed the other passengers over in their rush to get off the plane. They barely took in the sight of the airport as they disembarked, nearly sprinting to the airport's car rental service.

Mamoru drove, white-knuckled as he followed Ami's instructions. North, north, north. None of them were sure how long it had been since their terrible realization. Mamoru's eyes were blood-shot and aching with exhaustion, but he didn't slow down.

"Mamoru, perhaps we should take a break." Suggested Ami quietly. "There should be a town not too far from here."

"What do you mean take a break? Take a break with Usagi in danger? No way!" Yelped Makoto. Rei and Minako nodded vigorously, obviously sharing her sentiments.

"We're all tired." Said Ami softly. "We're going to have to walk most of the rest of the way, so we might as well rest up. She's been there this long; she'll be fine for a few more hours."

"No." Mamoru drove as far as he could, but it was dark when the road ended. They camped in the woods that night to wait for dawn, and only sheer exhaustion made them sleep.

Ami didn't know the particulars of the wards surrounding Hogwarts. If she had, she would have known that they were designed to skewer the readings of instruments like hers, creations of another civilization, another time. Perhaps, if she had known, she wouldn't have been so surprised when she woke to find a centaur pointing a nocked arrow at her chest.

* * *

When Harry walked back to his dorm late that night, he felt as though he were in a dream. Serenity was alive, and unharmed. She had explained what Professor Snape had said to her, about a sort of barrier on her mind, about why she couldn't remember him, though she said something about him rang with familiarity.

She could tell him nothing about that day in the chamber.

"_All I remember is waking up on a couch in my parent's-the Tsukino's- living room. I was very ill, but wearing the most amazing dress. I even kept it. I'll show it to you if the Professor lets you come with us when we return to Japan." _

He suspected that the dress was actually her robe, though there was the possibility that her Prince Diamond had given her something else.

_Prince Diamond._

The very name made his blood boil. The arrogant pillock- oh yes, Prince Pillock. That's what he'd called the man that when he was younger, hadn't he?- had the nerve to take her away only then, after all that had gone on at the Dursleys' over the years. And now that he thought about it, what was a grown man- from what Harry had seen, the prince was a good deal older than they- doing secretly visiting a young girl anyway? Harry's fists clenched under his cloak, and he vowed to hex the man to oblivion if he ever saw him again.

* * *

Diamond, upon hearing this spoken oath, snickered. "Good luck hexing a dead man."

"He does have a point. What were you doing?" Asked Pluto, brow arched. It still grated on her nerves that she hadn't b een able to watch him.

"Well, I didn't see you looking after her, for all your talk about an incorrect time line." Diamond retorted.

Pluto opened her mouth to respond that she wasn't allowed to interfere, then quickly shut it, remembering exactly what interfering earned her last time; namely, him. Diamond smirked, pleased that he'd won that argument.

"That makes it, what, me 10,342 and you. . . six?" He asked, casually tracing the numbers in the air.

Pluto scowled. "That last bet on how long it would take that idiot Ganon to escape again doesn't count. They split the time line!"

Diamond stared off in the general direction of that area of the fourth dimension a couple time lines called sacred. "Don't you hate it when people do that?"

That earned him a thump on the head from a scowling Gate Guardian.

* * *

Lost in his thoughts, Harry almost didn't see the lone figure huddled in one of the armchairs by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. He did, however, hear her quiet sobs. His first instinct was to run; he wasn't any good at dealing with crying girls anymore, he'd fallen out of practice in the last couple years. Then he spotted the glint of red hair against the firelight, and quietly tiptoed over to stand behind the chair.

"Ginny?" He called softly, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. She jumped and sniffled, wiping her eyes as she turned to look at him. She looked a mess, her hair mussed from sleep and her eyes puffy and red. She wiped her face on her sleeve hurriedly.n

"Did I wake you? Sorry Harry, I just had a bad dream." She mumbled, blinking in surprise when Harry offered a tissue to her.

"Want to tell me about it?" He asked, settling himself in the chair opposite her.

Ginny bit her lip, brows drawn together. "Yes, you'd understand, I think." Her eyes dropped to her lap as she twisted the tissue between her hands. "It was about Serenity. She was still in the Chamber. We left her there, with Tom, all this time. And she-" Ginny broke off, burying her face in her hands.

Harry felt his heart twist. He cared for Ginny so much, and to know he could end her suffering with a few simple words. . . He'd promised Firenze he wouldn't tell, but surely he would understand the necessity? "Ginny?" He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I need you to come with me. There's something I have to show you." If he was lucky, maybe seeing Ginny would jog Serenity's memory some.

He took his cloak in hand, wrapping it around them both. Harry had to hold her close to keep their feet from showing, and though he couldn't see it, Ginny's face flushed red. The pair of them slipped from the common room, almost waking the sleeping Fat Lady, and tiptoed down the stairs.

When he'd left Firenze's room Serenity had still been there, so it seemed to him to be the most logical place to start looking. Harry peeked through the window but saw nothing; the room was dark. He couldn't very well pull out the map with Ginny right there. . .

"What is it Harry?" Whispered Ginny. He sighed.

"I wanted to surprise you." He whispered. "Something incredible happened today-" He cut himself off quickly, hearing footsteps approaching.

He pulled Ginny into a nearby alcove, hastily ensuring they were both securely covered. Snape strolled by on his rounds, walking with his usual menacing air. That in itself was not surprising; Under Umbridge the hall patrols were drastically expanded (much to Harry's annoyance). What was surprising however, was the look that Harry could just make out on his face.

Was he smiling?

Shaking this thought, Harry waited until Snape passed before guiding Ginny down the hall again, wondering just where Serenity could be.

* * *

Shortly after Harry left Firenze's room to return to Gryffindor Tower, Serenity noticed something strange. While her communicator was still down, her brooch had begun to pulsate. The others were near, and she knew it.

"Firenze," she breathed, "they're here. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Tuxedo Mask."

Firenze nodded slowly. "Those four scouts are, and have always been, your guardians. I would have been disappointed if they had not located you." He stood, (Serenity couldn't help but notice that he was oddly silent on his opinion of Tuxedo Mask). "We'll have to fetch them. While you carry Earth's magic within you, something I have yet to explain, there is no guarantee that they will as well. They might not be able to find Hogwarts. We can't have them tearing down the wards to search for you."

He fetched her cloak from where it hung, handing it to her. "Come. It would be best if we returned before Severus Snape returns to fetch you. I believe he has some questions for your friends."

They had headed outside, missing Harry and Ginny by mere moments.

* * *

Harry and Ginny searched the entire area around Firenze's classroom, and Harry was just about to give up when he finally spotted Serenity through a hall window.

She stood outside under the silvery light of the crescent moon, her golden hair in that ridiculous style she'd adopted in second year. He watched her look around the courtyard as though searching for someone, then down at something in her hand that he couldn't quite see. Her hand shot into the air. Firenze came into sight a moment later, placing a hand on her arm and shaking his head. _Not yet._ He seemed to say. Checking over his shoulder once, Firenze adjusted her cloak more tightly about her before leading her through the snow, down the slope towards the Forbidden Forest.

Harry let out a startled gasp, running towards the nearest door before Ginny could blink. He was utterly consumed by a blind panic, terrible thoughts running through his mind. What if Voldemort had found a way to control her again, or was manipulating Firenze? What if she was hypnotized and walking to her death, or worse, back to Prince Diamond?

"Harry!" Cried Ginny, running after him. She hadn't seen Serenity out the window. His cloak slid from her shoulders and she grasped it close to keep from dropping it as she ran. "HARRY!"

Their shouts drew the attention of those nearby, and Peeves was over them in a moment, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS IN THE CORRIDOR!"

Swearing, Harry ran through the Entrance Hall and out into the night. Frightened beyond belief, Ginny followed.

* * *

Again, I'm really sorry! I hope you guys are still reading this. Yes, Diamond's part was completely random. Might I add that my other distractions lately have been Legend of Zelda related (Don't own that either)? Eh heh. There's even a growing plot bunny demanding to be written. . .

Thank you to the Chapter Twenty-Four reviewers (I hope you're still reading!) Lady Serenity Fortunato, Tenshi-Chikyuu (yeah, lots of background. Will be useful later though! Hey, more plot this time too.), Chacaya (yay! Glad you like it.), Lawliet's Bride (Glad to hear your Dad is getting better.), Lily Marie Wolfe (That's my goal.), mauskaetzchen (I hope I'm not starting to go "out there" on you!), and Chicwa88.


	26. Forest Trouble Yet Again

Chapter Twenty-Six

I'm sorry! I'm really really sorry! I was caught up in classes, my other story, then finals, then I didn't have internets for THREE WEEKS! However, the next chapter is nearly done! I finally made the conflicting ideas work! Although, I do think you will all want to kill me by the end of Chapter Twenty-Seven.

* * *

"Serenity!" Harry's shout echoed in the distance as Ginny paused to catch her breath. She was about to take off again when a firm hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"Just where do you think you're going, Ms. Weasley?" Snape's voice was low and dangerous, though he sounded oddly pleased, likely wondering if it was possible to get Gryffindor into negative points. Ginny froze; she hadn't even heard his footsteps! But Snape was a professor, and loyal to the Order (she hoped). Oh, but Harry was going to be so angry with her. . .

"He went into the forest!" She blurted out. "Harry yelled something about Serenity, and ran off into the forest! I think he's gone mad!"

Snape's face drained of whatever color it had, and his grip on her shoulder tightened. "Go back inside and alert the Headmaster." His dark eyes flicked back towards the castle as though to confirm something, then scanned the lining of the trees. He had to hurry. "Tell him to make sure that Umbridge's wards do not activate. Do you hear me? They must not activate. GO!" Snape shoved off from her, running with unexpected agility towards the Forbidden Forest. Ginny watched him go before shaking herself from her reverie, dashing back up the slope towards the castle. If the mere mention of the missing Gryffindor could draw that kind of reaction from Snape . . . House points suddenly seemed like the least of her worries.

Harry Potter was undoubtedly faster, but Snape had the advantage of familiarity with this section of the forest, as he often found useful herbs here. "Potter! Stop right where you are!" He snarled when he spotted the boy's black mop through the trees. Surprisingly, Potter did stop, whirling about to face him.

Potter's eyes were wild with fear, so afraid to lose what he had only just regained. "Professor, Serenity could be in danger!"

Snape scowled as he seized the boy by the front of his robes. "So I have been told Potter. As usual, of course, you didn't even think to alert anyone, running off headlong into the forest and leaving Ms. Weasley to fend for herself. Go back to the school, Potter."

"But sir, I-"

"I will not tell you again, Potter, nor do I have time to waste." Snape growled, already jogging down the forest path. A heartbeat later, Harry's footsteps joined his. "Potter, I said-"

"I don't know the way back, and I can't just leave her!"

Snape snarled, but said no more, drawing his wand to light their way. Harry fumbled in his pockets before doing the same. They made their way forward in silence.

* * *

The pulsing of her brooch had grown steadily as they followed the path, which Serenity took as a sign that her friends were near. "We should be close now, right Firenze?" She asked, focusing on the glowing jewel.

"Yes, I believe-" he stopped, stepping forward to block her sight of the trees ahead. His keen blue eyes searched the forested darkness before them, then darted up to a gap in the canopy above. The moon glinted down at him, the bright_ full_ moon.

"Wait," he spoke softly. Stupid, stupid, how could he have been so foolish? He saw them now, the golden eyes glowing. One, two, four, six. He cursed quietly.

She saw them too. She gulped audibly, gripping his hand in hers. "What are those, Firenze?"

"Werewolves." He no more than breathed the word and the wolves charged, converging in on them. Serenity screamed and jumped back, fumbling to lift her brooch as the largest of them leaped at her, a big gray wolf. It knocked her to the ground, sending the brooch flying into the underbrush. It almost seemed to grin at her, lips pulled back, its rank breath washing hot across her face as it lunged to bite.

Firenze kicked it back viciously, smacking a second black wolf away from his left. A third, this one tawny, leaped at his back while a smaller gray went for his side, drawing a pained grunt from the centaur before they too were knocked away.

"Firenze!" Serenity grabbed a large fallen branch, swinging at one of the attacking wolves. The black wolf snapped it in half easily. She yelped, scrambling back to find her brooch in hopes that Sailor Moon would have more luck driving them off.

The tawny wolf crashed into her side, knocking her against one of the thick trees of the forest with a pained groan. Her head slammed against the trunk with a sickening thunk and a flash of bright blue light sparked across her vision. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was something oddly like a bird call.

* * *

One of the dark-coated centaurs surrounding the car lifted his head. "Sounded like Firenze. Does he have a death wish, coming back here?"

"Focus, Roran!" Snapped another, as he motioned for the five in the car to get out. "You, trespassers, what are you doing on our lands?"

Most of the bows were focused on Mamoru, Ami noticed, even as he seemed to be thinking quickly to translate the question. He had been studying English for some time now, she knew, as he some day planned to study in America. "We're looking for our friend, Usagi." He answered finally.

The centaurs, eight of them in all, looked at each other then back at the group of humans. One of them, a female with a lighter coat, reached out to tug Mamoru forward, where the light from the stars and moon was brighter. She studied his face closely for a moment, before shoving him towards one of the males, who bound his wrists.

"Wait!" Mamoru tried to protest, struggling against their captors now that he was fully awake. "Our friend is near here! We need to find her, she could be in trouble!" The male who'd first spoken, Roran, struck him across the back of the head, bringing him to his knees.

"Silence, human!" He snapped. The scouts' hands twitched towards their pens, but none dared attempt a transformation with the bows still fixed on them.

The female moved then to the four scouts, nodding as though their presence confirmed something she had already known. "You will come with us." She said, her voice soft, almost dreamy when she looked at them, a sharp contrast to the harsh glare Mamoru received.

The bird call sounded again, more insistently this time. The female's lips drew back in something resembling a snarl, but she otherwise ignored it.

The four girls were surrounded, but not bound. Rei's hand reached for her pen again when she thought the centaurs weren't looking, but Minako shook her head sharply. They didn't know how dangerous these creatures were. The female made a motion with her hand, and the group left the dirt road, heading deeper into the forest.

As they traveled further from the path, the girls grew increasingly anxious. Minako remembered experiencing the feeling only one other time almost three years prior, back when she found the shack in woods. A glance at the other three girls told her they felt it too. Mamoru, however, seemed unaffected.

* * *

Firenze stood protectively over the fallen princess, using his deadly hooves to beat back any wolves who dared to come too close. Two of them had fallen already and a third was limping. The remaining three healthy wolves and the injured one circled him, the two grays, black and a red. His chest was heaving from the effort of fending off six of the hulking beasts alone. He had hoped that the tribe would respond to his call for help. They would have saved her, at least.

It had not occurred to him that the werewolves would be so close. He had only wanted to reunite the princess with her proper protectors, something the wizards were neglecting to do. Where were they? Didn't they know their princess was in trouble?

The big gray let out a howl and the four wolves sprang, black from the left, red from the right, the injured gray towards his forelegs and the large gray directly for his throat. Firenze lifted his arms to fend them off again when a pair of stunners shot out of the darkness beyond their small clearing, striking the small gray and the red. Firenze caught the large gray across the top of the head, forcing it away. The black changed course for the intruders, making it barely two steps before another spell knocked it into a bush.

Snape and Harry ran into the moonlight, wands drawn and pointed at the remaining wolf. Firenze's hand shot out to grab it when the black lunged for him, large, ugly boils covering its face. Firenze turned to fend it off, Harry firing at it while Snape aimed for the gray.

"Moon Prism Power!" Serenity had woken while the others fought, and upon spotting her brooch on the ground by the red had grabbed it, shouting her transformation phrase.

"NO!" Snape's panic broke his concentration and his spell shot off wildly into the woods, the gray taking the moment to bolt. He knew that Ginny could not have reached the Headmaster yet.

As the soft pink light of Serenity's transformation surrounded her, it was joined by a light of the darkest blue, which surrounded and choked off her power. Shrieking sirens sounded, the light and noise gathering in a bubble around Serenity, who struggled and fought unsuccessfully to throw it off. Snape tried hurriedly to dispel it as Harry let out a yell, running with Firenze to try to pull her from it.

The field shot outwards, knocking the wizards and centaur off their feet. It spread through the forest, startling the group of centaurs and their captives. It surrounded the four girls, swirling around them as though testing their magic. Their centaur captors, thinking this some kind of escape attempt, grabbed for them, but succeeded only in having their fifth prisoner, Mamoru, snatched up as well. The centaurs yelled with impotent anger.

"Traitor Prince!"

The five reappeared in the clearing, wrapped in the blue light beside Serenity. The light shifted and pulsed, dropping Mamoru on top of Harry before flashing brightly and vanishing completely. The secondary ward set by Umbridge then activated, this one a blinding shade of pink that wrapped around the four in the clearing, dropping them in the Entrance Hall at Hogwarts.

"No, no, no no no! Damn and blast!" Snape cried, pulling at his hair in frustration before he whirled on Firenze, who was panting heavily from the exertion of his fight. "Do you REALIZE what you've done?"

Firenze scowled, clearly angry, though with himself or Snape he wasn't sure. "Yes, I do. I put her in danger while trying to take her to those best suited to protect her-"

"Protect her? _Protect her_? Who would that be? Who in that bloody forest would protect her? Are you completely mental?" Snape snarled.

Harry groaned, shoving Mamoru off of him. "Who the hell are you?"

Snape whirled on him. "And YOU! Potter! Fifty points from Gryffindor!" (In actuality, Gryffindor only had about thirty.)

A little cough from the top of the stairs interrupted them. "Hem hem. What is going on here? I believe my anti-_foreign magic_ wards activated precisely two minutes and thirty-eight seconds ago. Severus, would you care to explain before I leave? The Minister is waiting." Umbridge stared down her nose at them all: Severus Snape, who had proven thus far to be quite cooperative, Harry Potter, who looked as though he might need another detention, the half-breed who she hoped to be rid of, and. . .

Why was there a man dressed as a muggle on the Entrance Hall floor?

If there was one thing Severus Snape was very good at that didn't involve potions or dark magic, it was lying. And if there was one skill this situation called for, lying was it.

Umbridge could not know that he had harbored Serenity for nearly a month (just a few days more and he would have been ready to go to Japan! He would have known the truth then!). She could not know that he and Potter had gone into the forest because Firenze was foolish enough to take her there, intending (and this knowledge he had pulled directly from the centaur's mind) to bring Serenity to people he thought could protect her better than Snape.

He fought the urge to hex the centaur. He could protect her just fine! He could. . . He could. . . He'd failed, again.

"I caught Potter out of bed after curfew. I was escorting him to my office." Snape began, face impassive. Umbridge cut him off.

"Yes, yes, just tell me who the wards dropped off here." She ordered imperiously, waving her hand impatiently. She took no notice of Firenze's condition, much to Snape's surprise. She (and he plucked this from her head too) dismissed his injuries as being due to _'disgusting half-breed activities' _she wanted no knowledge of.

Snape motioned to the man of the floor who hadn't quite managed to get up yet. "That one." He said. Umbridge looked him over.

"The Minister is waiting. Come with me Severus, if you would be so kind, and bring him." She waved dismissively at Mamoru.

"As you wish, High Inquisitor." Snape waved his wand to levitate Mamoru, who yelped in surprise. "Potter, back to your dormitory. I'll deal with you tomorrow." His black eyes bore into Harry's, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes sir." muttered Harry as Snape and Umbridge left for her office.

Snape grabbed Mamoru's arm with far more force than was strictly necessary. He recognized this man from the images he'd seen in Serenity's mind. Her _boyfriend_. The very thought of it left a bad taste in his mouth. Serenity was his!

Once they'd reached the kitten-covered travesty she called an office, Umbridge turned to Mamoru, staring down her nose at him. "Are you a wizard?" She demanded.

Mamoru took a moment to translate the question, his brow knit in confusion. "I. . . sorry? I beg your pardon?"

Umbridge cleared her throat impatiently. Bloody foreigners. "I trust you know what a ward is, don't you?" She said, speaking very loudly. Mamoru winced, and Snape only just resisted the urge.

A knock sounded then, Dumbledore waited outside. He smiled genially, bowing his head to Umbridge. "If I may, Dolores?" He stepped inside without waiting for an answer, conversing quickly with Mamoru in Japanese. Snape watched as Dumbledore first waved his wand to vanish the ropes, then began to question the man, Mamoru Chiba, he called himself. Mamoru seemed wary at first, then startled, his eyes shooting from Umbridge to Dumbledore, Snape and back to Dumbledore again.

He nodded several times, then stood, pulling out a rose from a place unseen. Umbridge tapped her foot and opened her wide, frog-like mouth to demand to know what was being said, when Mamoru's appearance shifted, first to a tuxedo and mask, then to old-fashioned armor, a sword at his side. His eyes closed, and when they opened again they were different somehow, older perhaps, wiser.

He turned to Umbridge and bowed, a sweeping, gentlemanly bow. When he spoke again his accent was clear, the language formal. "In setting your wards, High Inquisitor, you recognized what could be called an ancient enemy of wizardkind, the Lunarians. If you realize that my Serenity (Snape's fist clenched his wand more tightly) is Sailor Moon, the last Moon Princess reincarnated, then you must recognize me as the reincarnation of the last Earth Prince. As such, I will say that the war was a mistake. The people of the Silver Kingdom were not our enemies then, and they are not our enemies now."

It was an impressive speech, Snape had to admit. The man certainly looked the part, and Snape had caught glimpses of this in Serenity's mind. Umbridge stared, jaw agape, before snapping her mouth shut with an audible click.

"Well," She began breathlessly, "If you are the reincarnation of an Earth Prince, as you so claim good sir, then surely you will be able to perform his magic?" Perhaps this whole situation was hard to swallow, but then, hadn't a Lunarian, a race long thought dead, dropped through a Hogwart's window a month ago?

"Certainly, my lady." Prince Endymion withdrew his wand from a holster at his side. It was a very elegant wand, willow (the same type of wood as Serenity's, Snape thought irritably), thirteen inches. He lifted it to cast a simple lumos.

Nothing happened.

Umbridge sputtered. "Your tricks won't work on me, Headmaster! It doesn't matter what you try to fool me with. The girl belongs to the Ministry of Magic now. She is obviously somehow a Lunarian, an enemy of wizardkind. For that, she will pay." Upon saying this, she tossed a fistful of floo powder into the fireplace, called out "Ministry of Magic," and was gone.

Snape swore, slamming a fist against the wall. Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on his shoulder; Snape shrugged it off. "Once they get a good look at her, she's done for. They will know who she is, Albus."

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Hurry then. I think you know what you have to do."

Snape hesitated. "Lucius Malfoy? Do you think that's wise?"

"I think he's our best shot right now. Quickly." Dumbledore said. Snape nodded, striding from the room.

Meanwhile, the prince stared at his wand, completely dumbfounded. He tried three other spells, and still nothing. His wand remained cold and unresponsive in his hand.

Dumbledore stepped forward. He waved his wand over Mamoru, muttering a complicated spell. When he pulled back, there was a barely visible glow on the end of his wand. Dumbledore nodded gravely. "It is as I suspected, my boy. Your reincarnation, Mamoru Chiba, is all but a squib. His magical core is nearly non-existent. This other magic you told me of, this Tuxedo Mask, is a different sort of magic it seems. I'm afraid that without your wizard's magic, you will convince no one."

Prince Endymion faded back to Mamoru Chiba. He stared at Dumbledore a moment, then he fainted.

* * *

Hey! I broke another review record for this story (although that may be because Twenty-Five was the last chapter for months. Eh heh.) I hope you all haven't abandoned me for being so slow!

Thank you to the Chapter Twenty-Five reviewers Chicwa88 (sorry, no Diamond this time. I will make up for it next chapter though, heh heh.), angel313 (I like twists, can you tell?), mauskaetzchen, Lily Marie Wolfe, Alycee Lanet, Princess Moonie of the moon (you think he's bad now? Just wait.),Nikayla a121 (ah, sorry. I don't think the minor Sailor Moon characters are going to make it in this. But who knows?), bigfan454 (I'm not trying to bash him. It's just that the magical creatures hate him.), IsadoraKayStone (she's coming eventually. Actually, her plot was the one vying for Chapter Twenty-Seven, but I pushed it back.), VenomouslyAttractive, Reena Catheryn (wow I'm flattered! I'm glad you like the puzzles as much as I do. Feel free to take guesses at any threads I leave. You wouldn't believe how many ideas I find that way when I read other people's reviews. Lol), and Sesshoumarurin xxholic.


	27. Trials and Truths

Chapter Twenty-Seven

EDIT: ok, so the explody references were probably a bad idea. They're gone now.

Disclaimer: The beliefs of Severus Snape concerning Mamoru Chiba are not the author's personal views. Snape is worried and jealous, so he's being a jerk.

* * *

"Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating." Rei Hino fell limp in her bonds as the man drew back from her mind. He'd plunged deep, searching out every secret she held. He knew every moment of her life, every thought she'd ever had. He knew that she, like her friends, was really no more than an ordinary muggle if he took her transformation pen from her.

This he did, pocketing it along with the other three. An Unspeakable, the Department of Mysteries had called him as their best Legilimens to examine five unusual prisoners before they stood trial. They held his recommendations in high regard, and insisted only he would do. On his word, prisoners were released or sentenced to years in Azkaban. Some jokingly called him the prince of the department.

The girls' power, he saw, lay almost completely in their pens; they could do little without them. With them, however, they were a force to be reckoned with. From what he'd seen, they'd fought frightful magical enemies they knew as _youma_. Curiously, however, the four rarely laid a fatal blow on the youma. That was something handled almost exclusively by the fifth girl, the smallest, the only one he hadn't yet seen.

He strode towards her cell with a smile on his lips. Her mind would prove to be the most entertaining by far, he was sure. He'd pulled some interesting images from the mind of one of the four, the one called Minako. She'd felt a power surge two and a half years prior. Upon investigating it, she'd arrived near Hogwarts, though she hadn't known it due to the anti-muggle wards surrounding the castle.

Now, what would Sailor Moon have been doing at Hogwarts two and a half years ago?

He turned the corner by her cell and stopped, frowning as he saw dementors hovering outside, unlocking the door. Scowling in annoyance, he set off quickly towards her trial room. Merlin's beard! He was supposed to have them all first!

* * *

Serenity woke slowly. The room was dark, and she couldn't see. "Firenze?" She called quietly, "Harry? Professor?" She was alone.

The door creaked as it slid open, spilling light into the room. Two black robed figures glided in, and Serenity shivered, a dampened feeling of sadness settling around her. They each took an arm and pulled her to her feet, guiding her from the room. They said nothing, leading her down a bleak hallway, empty except for them. They passed several doors before stopping at one of them, waiting a few minutes for some unseen signal.

The door opened and the dementors glided in with the prisoner between them. They brought her to a single chair in the middle of the room, seating her in it. Chains wrapped about her arms and legs, restricting her. The dementors backed away, and only then was Serenity truly aware of her surroundings. She let out a frightened squeak, tugging at her bound limbs. A throat cleared itself high above her, and her head jerked up, peering at those seated as her judges. Sharp gasps could be heard throughout the room.

The Minister, hastily dressed in his pinstriped suit, stared openly at her. "I should have known it would be you, Ms. Riddle." He said lowly. He jerked his head at someone waiting in the shadows, and the wizard stepped forward. He was a tiny little man in a rumpled green robe, carrying only a potion vial. One of the dementors reached out at a motion from the small wizard, clasping its clammy hand on her chin as she struggled, opening her mouth. . .

"Minister, surely this isn't necessary!" A sharp voice broke out. Lucius Malfoy stared down from the top of the stairs in horror, his normally pale skin pasty white. Serenity, his young niece who had been missing for nearly three years was this dreaded moon girl everyone kept talking about? He'd been quite sure Severus had gone mad when he'd woken him in the middle of the night to tell him so. How was this possible? What was the Dark Lord going to say?

"It is, Lucius, I assure you." Said Fudge, fiddling with his hands. "Very dangerous prisoner you know, escaped from the protectori spell."

"She was kidnapped! Merlin's beard, that's my niece!" Lucius moved swiftly, descending the stairs with every intention of striding to her chair to free her. His Lord would not be pleased if the ministry pulled any valuable information from her, and besides that she was still his bloody niece!

"_Hem, hem_." Umbridge gave a little cough, and Lucius whirled to face her. "May I remind you, Mr. Malfoy, that your own son was among the students threatened when this girl brought one of her monsters into Hogwarts?"

Serenity gave an indignant cry. "I was trying to _defeat _the youma! I-" Her tirade was cut off abruptly as the small wizard took the opportunity to pour the potion into her mouth. She broke off coughing and Lucius stepped forward angrily, but Fudge called him to order.

"Lucius, please. I know you wish to witness this trial, but I will have to ask you to leave if you do not sit down." Fudge drew himself up importantly, only to quail when Lucius turned his glare on the minister, promising retribution.

"She's ready, Minister." The little wizard called. Lucius's jaw clenched, but he moved to his seat.

"State your name." Fudge ordered.

"Serenity Riddle." The girl replied dully.

Umbridge's lip curled. Of course she'd known there was something funny about the girl when she'd first met her those years ago. She was, after all, the daughter of the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord who had _not_ risen again. Everything made sense now. "Tell us about Sailor Moon."

"I am Sailor Moon," Serenity said.

"You are Lunarian then?" Umbridge sneered.

"Yes."

"But you are a witch, a pureblood witch." This from Lucius, an edge of panic to his voice.

"That is what I have been told."

"Do you not remember?" Lucius questioned softly. Severus had warned him about this. It was, he said, why he had kept her presence a secret.

"Wait." Came a new, irate voice. Everyone turned to face the door at the top of the room. A man disguised in a dark blue hooded robe stepped in, closing the door behind him. "I was summoned to examine all of the girls before their trials, Minister, not after."

Fudge squirmed when the newcomer's frigid gaze turned on him. "Ah, yes, of course." He cleared his throat nervously. "Well, then, your results and recommendations if you would, ah, please?"

He inclined his head. "I have just returned from my examinations of the other four girls recovered with this one, and I must say they're quite fascinating." The man strolled elegantly down the stairs, bypassing the seated ministry officials and making his way to stand behind Serenity's chair.

"The magics of the other four are like nothing I've seen before. Their magic is bound to their soul, much as the magic of a witch or wizard is. However, their magic is normally locked away, so to speak, leaving them virtual muggles; non-magical girls born to non-magical parents. They react to anti-muggle wards, such as those around the ministry, as muggles would. Only one had any significant mental defenses. They do seem powerful, however, and if this were a time of war," here he smirked, as though he knew something the minister didn't, "I've no doubt their powers would be quite useful." He reached out, catching a lock of Serenity's hair between his fingers. Lucius stiffened angrily.

"The true extent of their power is unknown, even to them. Hence my presence here on behalf of the Department of Mysteries." Although his face was shadowed by his hood, those in the stands could clearly see his smirk. "Your wish, Minister, is to send the girl and her friends to Azkaban, correct?"

"No!" Shouted Serenity. The veritaserum had apparently worn off already, much to the surprise of the administering wizard. "Please, leave my friends alone! They have nothing to do with this!" She'd once overheard Sirius talking about that place, how very terrible it was.

"Minister!" Pleaded Lucius. Although he knew that his lord could free the girl if he chose, the fact remained that he did not want his niece in Azkaban for any length of time. The very thought appalled him.

Fudge rapped his desk sharply for order. The dementors glided closer to Serenity, silencing both her and Lucius. "Yes, I believe that would be the safest course of action, especially given our most recent revelation. This girl is one Serenity Riddle, a cohort of Sirius Black. She is dangerous and must be kept under guard."

If he was surprised, the Unspeakable didn't show it. He leaned carefully over her shoulder, examining one slim wrist, dwarfed by thick metal chains. A lock of his hair, such a pale blond it was almost white, fell free of his hood and hung in front of his face. "The Department of Mysteries feels that this would be a terrible waste of an opportunity. We humbly request that you pass the young women into our care for further study. We can guarantee their security and we will, of course, handle the matter of their muggle families."

"Minister I must protest-" Lucius tried once more.

Fudge talked over him. While he normally saw the benefits in bending to the Malfoy's will, this was one issue he would not back down on. He hadn't even intended to have Lucius at this hearing. Who had told him, anyway? "You believe that what you will learn from them will be beneficial?"

The Unspeakable bowed. "Undoubtedly. Besides, Minister, is it not true that several of You-Know-Who's followers were broken out of Azkaban earlier this year? We believe that the Department of Mysteries will be more secure. You-Know-Who's followers have never penetrated our defenses."

Fudge cleared his throat and shifted, clearly uncomfortable. "Yes, yes I suppose that's true. Very well, the Department of Mysteries may have them then." He banged on his desk once more and Lucius Malfoy was on his feet again, arguing the ruling.

Serenity did not see this, however. The robed man bent over her, and for the first time she saw his eyes under his hood. They were cold violet; achingly familiar, and yet completely alien.

The chains released her limbs and his perfectly manicured hand grasped her wrist, whisking her from the room with a hand on her back. When they reached the hall he drew his wand. "Stupefy."He said, catching her limp form easily and strolling down the hall towards the elevators, gone before Lucius Malfoy could even think to follow him.

* * *

"So, this is a magical school for witches and wizards?" Mamoru asked Snape for the fifth time.

"Yes, Mr. Chiba, that is correct." Snape paced in front of his desk, anxiously waiting to hear from Lucius. After Mamoru Chiba woke, Dumbledore had somehow convinced Snape to keep an eye on the man. Twenty minutes later found Snape entertaining the notion of snapping the young man's neck.

"And Usagi used to attend this school?" Mamoru asked again. A muscle in Snape's eyebrow began to twitch.

"Yes, Mr. Chiba. Serenity did." He answered shortly.

Mamoru was blissfully silent for all of two minutes before he began his line of questioning again. This was all so new to him, and he was so worried for the girls, simply gone in a flash of light. He rubbed his wrists, chafed by the rope the centaurs used. "Those creatures-"

"Centaurs." Interjected Snape crossly.

"Yes, centaurs." Mamoru nodded. "They called me traitor prince. Do you know what they were talking about?" Mamoru's brows were drawn together in confusion. Had the centaurs recognized him as the Prince of Earth? Was that even possible?

Snape stopped pacing, glaring darkly. The boy wanted to know what he had done? Very well, then. Snape laced his fingers together, choosing his words carefully. "I am familiar with the story of the Lunar War." He said finally, his voice carrying a heavy note of gravity. Mamoru nodded for him to continue. Instead, Snape sat and reached for his teacup, wincing before casting a warming charm on it.

"A thousand years ago, more or less, most witches and wizards in the known world answered to a single royal family, one descended from Merlin. They were called the Earth Royals." Snape stared into his cup, as though the story he told were playing before his eyes. "Among their court was a Slytherin witch called Beryl. She was smitten with the Earth Royal's only son, the Prince Endymion. Prince Endymion, however, claimed he was in love with the princess of the Moon Kingdom, Serenity."

Snape paused for a moment to take a sip of his tea. "This was at a time when anti-Lunarian sentiments were high. Many of the magical creatures on Earth had sworn allegiance to the Lunarians and the other kingdoms, and this enraged wizards. The Lunarians, by this time, had largely withdrawn from Earth, leaving most Earthlings to their own devices, letting them handle their own problems. The reasons for this are foggy at best, but it seemed to have something to do with the elves."

A frown tugged at Snape's lips. The sheer lack of information about that group has bothered him for years. Who were they? Where had they gone, and why? "For a long time, the prince kept most of his people in line. Unexpectedly, however, he had a change of heart. Without a word of warning, the prince led an attack on the Moon Kingdom. The people there were ill-prepared. They could not reach out to their Earthen allies, for the wizards had blocked all modes of communication with them. They were slaughtered."

Snape's eyes closed as he called to mind the page that described the massacre. The author, a wizard, had taken great pleasure in describing each method of death he knew had been used. Many met death by the sword, still well in use in those days even among wizards. At least one wizard had carried an ax, the author claimed, charmed to imbue the bodies it cut down with a fire spell to cremate them on the spot. Still others fell to the Killing Curse, a relatively new spell then. The author was apparently a seer. He would have had to have been. No wizard had returned alive.

"After the death of her daughter, the Queen of the Moon put an end to the conflict using her power. In doing so, she also destroyed whatever it was about the moon that made it habitable. All witches and wizards present perished." Snape heaved a sigh. "Thirty percent of the wizarding world followed the prince into battle that day. Another thirty percent were killed in retaliatory wars waged by the Silver Millennium's Earth-bound allies. The wizarding world was thrown into chaos. More died. The King was killed in a Goblin War months later. The Queen, it is said, died of a broken heart. The Earth Royals were no more, and wizards were reduced to civil war for many years, resulting in still more death, stopped only when countries began to establish their own Ministries of Magic, many of which are still in place today."

Snape's face twisted in disgust, slamming his cup on the table and sloshing tea across the first years' essays on his desk. "Even though his actions resulted in the deaths of seventy percent of the world's wizarding population, Prince Endymion is often revered as a hero, even by those wizards who have since forgotten why. To the magical creatures of Earth who swore their loyalty to the Silver Millennium, however, he is called the Traitor Prince."

Mamoru's head hung in shame. He knew the story of that battle, of how Beryl had controlled the prince to try to steal his love. He knew that the princess's death had been his fault, and that it had driven her mother to take the actions that she had.

"But that is all past, isn't it? Beryl is gone." Mamoru finally said. "How could they know who I was? Why do they still blame me for the war?"

Snape took a calming breath, waving his wand to clear the mess he'd made. "The centaurs read more in the heavens than you or I could ever imagine." He massaged his temples with a sigh. "And they're not the only ones. Firenze will not say much about it, but I know that they are all expecting something, something that depends on her."

"Usagi?" Mamoru asked. Would their pasts ever stop haunting them?

"Of course her, who else?" Snape snapped irritably. "However, I think the races are restless. They're realizing something they didn't expect."

Mamoru's eyes sparked. "Her magic. They're angry with witches and wizards, but you say she's one of them."

"Ah, so you were paying attention. Yes, her magic, my magic. Magic she shouldn't even be able to wield."

Mamoru was silent for a few minutes. When she had explained to him that she remembered so little of her past, he never would have guessed that she had forgotten things like this. It seemed to him that forgetting magic would be like forgetting how to breathe. It should not be possible. And yet. . .

Wasn't that what he had done? Well, not precisely. According to the old wizard, Dundle- Dumbell- Dumbledork- no, Dumbledore, Dumbledore he didn't have magic anymore, although the Earth Prince had.

The Earth Prince was a wizard.

The Moon Princess was not.

Mamoru Chiba was not a wizard.

Usagi Tsukino (an identity Mamoru still refused to accept didn't exist) was a witch.

"What if I gave her my magic?"

Snape's eyes cut to him sharply, before narrowing as he ground out, "what?"

"If she wasn't a witch before, but she is now, and I was, but now I'm not, what if I gave her my magic before? I loved her you know, I still do." Mamoru's voice was soft, a faraway look in his eyes as though he were looking at something only he could see. "If I thought it would save her life, I would have done it."

"No." Snape's expression was as dark as thunder. "That is impossible."

"Why?" Mamoru demanded, "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Her magic could not possibly be yours," Snape said savagely, "because it is mine."

* * *

(flashback)

The answer was there, right there staring him in the face! How had everyone else missed it?

_'In 1564 A.D. Madame Agatha Cauldwell, bereaved by the loss of her only daughter, famously tried to revive her by summoning her spirit and binding it to the body of a muggle girl. When the body rejected the spirit, Madame Caudwell then tried to bind the spirit to an unborn child. Again, the only available candidate was muggle. Again, her efforts failed. _

_My colleague Bartemius Wigworthy has suggested that muggleborns are created when the soul of a witch or wizard, magic and all, is reborn as the child of muggles. The above story illustrates that this is obviously false; magical souls are incompatible with muggle bodies. _

_To further prove this, consider Madame Caudwell's third attempt. Using a piece of her own magical core as a sort of splice, she successfully drew her daughter's soul into an unborn magical child. . .'_

Yes, the passage's logic was faulty at best, but the key lie in the last sentence. Madame Caudwell was able to give her daughter new life only when she used her own magic to join the soul to the body it wasn't meant to have. The book contained pictures of her daughter and her reborn daughter; they were identical in every way.

Snape stood over his cauldron, considering. It was a fertility potion of sorts, a light shimmery pink bubbling merrily over the fire. If he understood his research correctly (and he was certain that he had) he needed only to envision the being he wanted while he drew a piece of his magic and imbued the potion with it.

He hadn't been certain at first that the idea would work. After all, every book he'd ever read on the subject agreed the magic of the Lunarians differed from the magics of Earth. However, when he'd tried the experiment on a house elf, it'd worked. The infant elf had been the perfect duplicate of the elf who had last carried its soul, and when he'd killed the creature the magic he'd used had returned to him.

With a final calming sigh Snape extinguished the fire and took a step back, conjuring a mattress. He pointed his wand at himself and intoned the incantation. A golden glow grew about his wand, and as he had the first time he'd called his magic forth in this manner, he found himself transfixed by it. It shimmered and shined with the light of the sun, not sullied and dark as he had almost expected. If he looked closely at it he could see the lovely rainbow sparks, jumping, dancing about his wand, vibrant and so very _alive_.

His mind wandered to Lily Evans (he would not think of her as Potter, couldn't yet), beautiful Lily Evans who had been so kind to him when they were young, and how he'd loved her, then ruined it. He thought of her smile, her laugh, those brilliant green that once trusted him, but did no more. Forcibly he shook himself from those thoughts, focusing on a drawing he'd seen of a Lunarian, of the stories he'd read of their fantastical powers. He recalled, for a moment, the peculiar tale of the last Moon Princess.

A flick of his wrist towards the cauldron and the magic left his wand with an audible snap, a golden glowing ball hurtling through space to land in the liquid silently. Although he'd prepared himself for it, he sudden shock of separation from such a basic part of him stole his breath and his consciousness, and he collapsed to the floor.

He woke sometime later to a crick in his neck and a dark window, suggesting that more time had passed than he'd thought would. He'd stood slowly and moved to the cauldron, the sight of it catching his breath.

The potion glowed a beautiful silver, flawless and clear. A cloud outside shifted, and moonlight spilled across the cauldron, playing over the silver potion as though it were a perfectly cut crystal, reflecting back at him every color of the rainbow and then some. Snape reached out with shaking hands to fetch a brass ladle and vial, not wanting to risk spelling the beautiful potion and somehow marring it. Steadying his grip he carefully filled his vial and corked it, cradling it like something precious as he departed for his lord's hideaway.

* * *

(End flashback)

Snape never forgot that night, never forgot that his magic created Serenity. Back then, he hadn't known what sharing his magic with her would do to him. She wasn't supposed to live long enough to ever use it, but in the end, he suspected, its use had done him in. He was bound to her, and she to him. He'd known it as soon as he laid eyes on her, known it in the deepest recesses of the heart he sometimes wished he didn't have.

He couldn't help but love her.

"Well?" Mamoru's voice broke Snape's reverie. Snape's eyes cut to him. The boy was not a legilimens, of course, and so knew nothing of Snape's thoughts. "What do you mean?"

"Something more than you understand, Mr. Chiba. Something more than you could ever understand."

* * *

I've been trying to work that flashback in for ages! Ok, I'll admit it. I made you all suffer through that terrible fight scene for two reasons. First, to get Serenity and the scouts to the Ministry of Magic (so soon I get to drive everyone crazy with my rescue methods, haha) and also to get Mamoru with Snape to trigger that bloody flashback (in my head Mamoru did it, so I had to have him. I'm like that.)

Thank you to the reviewers for Chapter Twenty-Six, Sakura Lisel (And yet she's not fully human. She's different from the others, and it's Snape's fault. Well, mostly. There's more he doesn't know yet.), Tenshi-Chikyuu (I've noticed that the plot moving too quickly seems to be recurring theme of your reviews, sorry. I just wanted to get through that fight scene with the werewolves. I hope you liked this chapter better.), Lily Marie Wolfe (thank you!), and mauskaetzchen (thanks. Connecting them as much as I can is my goal. I have fun coming up with new ways to do it.)

Read and review if you would please!


	28. Epilogue of the Failed Timelines

Alright, it's rather abrupt, but I've decided this fic is through. Much of the direction of the plot was set to follow the tone of the last chapter, but that one didn't seem to be very popular. Therefore, I decided to end it with this. You'll notice that it's kind of an open ending, so I may write up some of the other scenes that never made it into this fic and post them as a series of one-shots or something.

Anyway, enjoy the ending, and thanks to those of you who stuck with me.

* * *

_Pale hands buried in beautiful blond hair, a slim neck exposed. Fangs glinting in the eerie blue light. A mind invading hers, intoxicated with the scent of magic not seen for a thousand years, so thirsty. . ._

_A pulse slowing. Breathing stopped. Broken. Drained of the blood of the Moon that all vampires so craved. . ._

"No. . . No. . . DAMMIT! NOT AGAIN! of all the bloody STUPID, IDIOTIC-"

"Yelling at yourself won't solve anything." Came the deadpan voice from behind him. Diamond whipped about to glare at Pluto.

"That's not me. I wouldn't be as stupid as that." He retorted irritably as yet another dimension crashed. While it was true that all dimensions formed some branches that were simply too unstable to remain (like the one where the Hero decided that it wasn't too dangerous to go alone after all), this dimension, his very favorite, had produced far too many.

Judging by the rate of the crashes, if something couldn't be done the entire branch would fall, and he would never see his Serenity truly happy. Then again, if his past self would just stop _killing _her. . .

He really should have known his past self was somewhere near her. He really, really should have suspected that the _Prince of the Department of Mysteries _would become as obsessed as he was the moment he met her.

Every bloody time his past self met the girl, the dimension crashed because he killed her, no matter what Diamond tried to do to stop him. Someone out there really, really hated him.

And most annoyingly, he couldn't seem to find a way to keep her away from him. As soon as the Ministry became involved in her life, as it inevitably did, he found her. Within a year, he always killed her.

"Face it." Pluto said darkly, "that dimension is an abomination. It cannot possibly succeed."

"No!" Snapped Diamond. "There is a way. There HAS to be a way."

Pluto sniffed. "That branch made it further than any of the others. If your past self doesn't kill her, her own powers do. Earthen magic and the magic of the Moon Kingdom cannot coincide in one body. That's why Prince Endymion was born without his power. He would have passed it to Small Lady, and that would have destroyed her."

"The wizard Severus Snape made it stable!" Diamond protested. "She was doing just FINE!"

The bottom of Pluto's staff smacked sharply against the unseen floor of the fourth dimension. "It wasn't stable and you know it. The methods he used were deplorable, _dark_. Her soul is too pure. If she ever survived to her seventeenth year she died when he was killed, or the warring magics within her destroyed them both. He bound them too closely together, but never close enough."

Diamond groaned, losing and unwilling to surrender. "But the possibilities are infinite! He could survive the battle! Somehow-"

"NO!" Pluto snarled. "Think for a moment. Once the laws of the universe are laid, the dominant form of matter selected and the laws of Physics written can they be broken? No! No, they cannot! Even infinity has its limits. Give. Up."

Another dimension crashed. Then two more. It seemed to him that she was right. Sailor Moon could not survive in the world of wizards, not when her father was the Dark Lord.

His vampiric past self killed her.

Her own powers overwhelmed her.

One of her father's many attempts to drain her succeeded, and he gained her powers for his own, or didn't.

Even something as mundane as the temperature on that October night.

Somehow, she never made it to eighteen.

And yet. . .

There.

Splitting off from the very beginning of the branch was a new direction, a new timeline. Diamond waited with bated breath, ignoring the destruction of its fellows as he watched Severus Snape duck and stun Sirius Black that night, running through the house to what remained of the nursery. He watched Snape lift the infants, both Serenity and young Potter, and vanish.

That had never happened before.

It gave him. . .hope.

* * *

(Bonus scene. Actually, this one sort of started this entire thing, so I can't leave it out.)

"It's not funny."

Diamond had a hand pressed to his mouth, shaking with laughter.

"I said _it's not funny! _This never would have happened in the proper time stream!" Pluto ranted angrily, hair disheveled as she gestured with her staff to the headline blaring from a projected image floating before them.

_August 24, 2006_

_**Pluto Demoted, No Longer A Planet**_

Diamond only laughed harder.

* * *

About the bonus scene. So, I was re-reading the Sailor Moon manga, when I happened to stumble across mentions of a couple of dates. I calculated that Crystal Tokyo should have been formed around the year 2000, hence Pluto would have never been demoted in "the proper time stream," but would be if Crystal Tokyo never happened.

Thanks again for reading this. I really did think I should end it before it went the way of the other versions, where I ran myself in such circles I just gave up. Hopefully I don't do that with my other fic. Ha. Anyway, keep a look out for some related one-shots.

Bye-bye!


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